


We Can Never Be Friends

by Anonymous



Category: Machine Gun Kelly (Musician), Music RPF
Genre: Celebrities, Colson Baker - Freeform, Hollywood, Machine Gun Kelly - Character - Freeform, mgk - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-16
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:46:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 33,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22280527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: What happens when a Hollywood starlet falls for her bad boy co star? She was never supposed to actually fall for him, but somehow he became the only thing she could focus on. He was her drug and she just couldn't seem to quit him.
Relationships: Colson Baker | Machine Gun Kelly/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 34
Collections: Anonymous





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I can't guarantee how long this will be or how fast I get chapters out, but I'm enjoying writing this so feel free to bookmark and leave kudos!

Chapter One: A Little Party Never Killed Nobody

Hollywood parties were always the same, filled with covert (and not so covert) drug use and hookups and people trying to one up each other on social status and Eden still wasn’t quite sure why she continued to attend them. That was a lie, she knew exactly why she attended them, because being part of Young Hollywood meant keeping up appearances, even if the party scene was no longer really her thing. The bass from the music that blared through the speakers set up in the living thudded hard enough that it shook the floor of whichever tv stars house she was currently in, trying to avoid bumping into anyone and failing miserably as she nearly upended someone’s drink with her elbow. Her eyes scanned the crowd and she sighed softly, her shoulders relaxing when she spotted Parker, hand wrapped around a drink and deep in conversation with some guy she knew was on some teen drama, though he was long past his own teen years. She nodded politely to the people she recognized in the crowd but didn’t stop to chat until she was next to Parker’s free arm. Her sudden appearance startled him and he glared at her in jest before wrapping his free arm around her shoulders.

“Jesus, fuck, Eden. How do you always manage to be so sneaky?” He planted a kiss on the top of her head, his grip tightening as he pulled her closer. “It’s a talent I guess, sorry.” She flashed a grin at him and snaked an arm around his waist, plucking his drink from his hand before taking a sip. Parker Dean was a movie star, his dashing good looks giving him an advantage when it came to his career, his fan base filled with young and older women alike. He and Eden had been casually dating for a few months after her wildly public and messy breakup with a former co star of hers who also happened to be a rapper with an affinity for the sex, drugs and hardcore lifestyle that avenue provided him. Thankfully she’d managed to avoid him in the months post breakup, knowing if she saw him she’d either cry or slap him, neither of which was a really solid option for her at the moment.

Eden listened to Parker’s conversation casually as she people watched, realizing just how many people were actually crammed into the mansion, celebrities and their entourages doing their best to see and be seen. From the corner of her eye, a familiar head of bleach blonde hair crossed into her vision and the room stopped for the briefest of seconds as she realized it was him. Shit, why is he here? I thought he was about to go on tour, whatever of course he’s here, going on tour wouldn’t keep him from a party. Who is that girl with him? Eden shook her head and her eyes narrowed, she didn’t care that he was here with someone else. Hell, she was here with Parker who hadn’t even noticed she was starting to panic. She hoped maybe Colson hadn’t noticed her, but given his height and her current position on a ledge, when his eyes found hers she knew she was done for.

She let her arm drop from Parker’s waist as she slipped out from under his arm, giving him a tight smile as she slipped into the crowd, knowing only that she needed to go somewhere that wasn’t swarming with people so she could breathe. Her feet carried her down hallways, opening doors as she went hoping one would lead her into a free bathroom. As she pushed open the door and stepped in, relieved she’d found one, he slipped in behind her as he pushed the door shut and flipped the lock. Eden wasn’t short by any means, standing at 5’7 she was fairly average but standing in front of Colson never failed to make her feel small as he towered over her at 6’4. The gasp that escaped her throat was involuntary as she stepped back, not wanting to be so close to him, though the smell of weed followed her as she moved. Her heart raced as he opened his mouth to speak, “Please, I just want to talk. Just hear me out for a minute okay?”

Colson was her drug, the one thing she couldn’t get enough of, but it had been Eden who’d broken things off, not willing to put herself through the pain of seeing him fight his demons. It had been selfish of her, but she loved him too much to see him go out the same way so many of the people she’d started in the industry with had. She thought she was doing okay, she really did, but seeing him standing in front of her sent her body through the familiar sensations. Wanting to have him hold her, to touch her, to send those tingles throughout her body like he could do without even trying. She knew she couldn’t ask him to get sober, it was too in his system, but there were times he could be the sweetest man alive and other times he’d be so out of his mind that it was like he was a totally different person and Eden just didn’t know if she was strong enough to handle both sides of him.

Sighing softly, Eden perched herself on the edge of the sink, tossing her dark curls over one shoulder before using her hands to lean forward, eyes finding his. “Okay, talk.” He ran a hand over his head, mussing up the hair that she knew he hadn’t put much effort into anyway as he spoke. “Eden, if I’d known you were here tonight, I wouldn’t have come. I don’t want to put you in more of a difficult situation than you already are, especially with the premiere coming up… And your manager told me to stay away from you.” Eden’s grip tightened on the edge of the sink, the granite cold against her fingertips. Her manager? Brent was her manager and her friend too but even as her friend, he had no right to tell people to stay away from her. Even if it was meant with the best intentions. “I didn’t ask him to say that. I think he was probably just worried about me, but I would never ask that. I don’t need you to stay away from me.”

“Well, I guess that’s one good thing out of this whole shit show then, huh?” He stepped closer to her, the gap between him and the door widening and the space she’d created between them shrinking. “I miss this, I miss us. I get it now though, why you left. I’m not easy to put up with, but with you… I feel like things aren’t as fucked.” As he spoke, he closed the gap completely, his hand coming to rest on her knee. She hadn’t even noticed and now her stomach was doing backflips and her body felt like it was on fire. Eden’s fingers unclenched from the counter top, one hand resting on top of his hand on her knee, the other reaching forward to grip the hem of his stupid silk patterned shirt, pulling him to her so he was standing between her thighs. This was her vice, it was always going to be him. Colson leaned down, his free hand lacing into her hair before he tugged back hard enough that her face was tilted up, eyes hooded. “What about Mr. Movie Star out there?”

Eden’s lips parted and her hand moved from her knee, sliding up under his shirt as her cold fingers found his warm skin. “He’s probably not even noticed I’m gone.” And with that, her fingers danced along the top of his jeans, deftly undoing his belt buckle before popping open his button. “You just gonna stand there or are you going to do something?” At that, Colson’s lips met hers and despite the fact that the only drink she’d touched all night had been Parker’s, Eden had never felt less sober. She slid her finger along his zipper seam, taking in the slight bulge that seemed to be forming before she unzipped him and pushed down, his slightly too big jeans moving easily towards the floor. His fingers free from her hair, he used both hands to pull her shirt up and over her head, leaving her in her skirt and pink lace lined bra before his fingers found her hair again, pulling back as his lips found her neck. His free hand kneaded her breasts and Eden’s body reacted, her legs looping around his waist to pull him as close as she could, wanting nothing more than to leave zero space between them. Her fingers undid the buttons on his shirt and it fell open, revealing his tattoo covered chest as she ran her fingernails lightly across his collar bone. She couldn’t help the slight squeak that escaped her lips as she felt his fingers graze against underwear, the feeling of his fingers in places he already knew so well setting her senses ablaze.

Her hips bucked against his fingers and he chuckled roughly, pausing the ministrations on her neck to look at her properly as his fingers moved her underwear aside and slipped deep into her. She gasped and her hands gripped the edge of the countertop once more, her breaths becoming more shallow the longer his fingers danced across her lips. His lips crashed into hers and she bit his bottom lip, sucking it between her own lips as she felt the tension in her lower body begin to swell. Eden let her forehead rest against his as her breaths quickened, “I want you inside me.” Colson didn’t need to be told twice as he removed his fingers, leaving Eden feeling more empty than she had in ages. He stepped out of his boxer briefs and she used her moment of stillness to hook her fingers into the waistband of her underwear slipping them down and off her legs. She hadn’t even noticed him roll the condom on, but before she figured out how he’d done it so quickly, her breath was catching in her throat as he entered her, every reason she had for breaking up with him gone from her brain. In this moment, this was the only thing that mattered.

There was no question that Colson knew what he was doing and it didn’t take long for Eden to be pushed over the edge, her legs shaking as the orgasm washed over her. He kept going and she knew that this wasn’t going to be the only one she had. The way his body met hers, it was like they’d been apart for a decade and yet had never been apart at all, and her hands rested on the back of his neck, eyes watching his as she felt him tense. Knowing he was about to cum, it caused her body to react the same and a second, almost more violent orgasm escaped her as he stilled. They stayed like that for a moment, their heads together before he pulled out and worked to dispose of the condom. She grabbed her shirt from where he’d tossed it, seeing it had landed on a bottle of cologne before she pulled it on over her head, fingers finding her hair knotted as she tried to make it look presentable. As he pulled up his jeans, she leaned forward to grab the loose ends of his shirt, pulling him towards her once more so she could button him back up. After he was dressed, she slipped off the counter and pulled her underwear back on, knowing she was definitely going to shower the moment she got home.

Eden stood in front of him as he watched her, knowing he was waiting to see how she would react. Truthfully she didn’t know what she was feeling but she knew that maybe breaking up with him was actually the worst idea she’d ever had. His fingers traced along her jaw before he let his hands drop, knees buckling slightly as he picked her up, lacing her legs around his waist. “I meant what I said, I miss this. And if that was any indication, you do too.” He kissed her deeply once more before setting her down gently and flipping the switch on the bathroom door. “You go first, wouldn’t want people to think we did anything, would we?”

She slipped out of the bathroom, beelining for Parker who like she’d suspected, hadn’t even noticed she was gone.


	2. Chapter Two: Co Stars to... Something Else?

_Summer 2019_

Eden sat in her trailer, pouring over the sides she’d gotten that morning, making sure she was ready for her scenes. She had a system, she knew what she was doing, but given today was the first full day of filming and she was supposed to see her romantic love interest for the first time since they’d chemistry tested, she wanted to make sure she didn’t fuck anything up. She was interested to see how it was going to go with her co star, his name was Colson, that she remembered, but she’d heard someone address him as Kells which probably had something to do with his stage name and knowing he was a rapper did give her slight pause. She was sure he’d be fine, he’d done other acting things before and she’d be lying if she said she hadn’t watched a few clips of his on YouTube, but hopefully he wasn’t like some of the other rappers she’d had run ins with, especially after she got felt up by one at an after party and she’d dumped her drink on him. She was mid sentence when the knock came, light enough she could have missed it, her eyes narrowed in confusion.

If it were a PA they would have already said what they wanted, so clearly it was someone else, though who it could be she had no idea. She set the sides down on her desk and moved across the small floor space, hand flipping the latch and pushing the door open slowly, hoping whoever was on the other side wasn’t too close. Her dark brown eyes met the startling blue eyes of her co star and she smiled slightly, “Hey! I wasn’t expecting to see you yet.” 

“I’m not interrupting am I? I figured I should come actually introduce myself when we’re not surrounded by executives.” He smiled and Eden took note of the fact that her heart definitely skipped a beat. She chastised herself, knowing that he was just some attractive guy that she was getting paid to act like she was in love with, not actually have a thing for. It didn’t hurt that he was very, very attractive though. “You’re not interrupting at all, I was just looking over the sides again for like the millionth time.” Stepping back from the door, Eden extended her arm, beckoning him in. He was taller than she remembered as he had to hunch ever so slightly to not bump his head on the ceiling of her trailer and he flopped onto her small couch with a grin. She stepped over his legs and propped herself up on the desktop, feet crossed at the ankles and hands resting on her thighs.

“Welcome to my home away from home, I’m sure it looks super similar to yours, but if you want the grand tour, it’ll take like two minutes.” She gestured vaguely around the room and chuckled as she watched him. “You know, I think I can figure out the layout if I need too, but I appreciate the offer.” He runs a hand over his tousled bleach blonde hair, his multitude of tattoos catching her eyes, surprised they hadn’t covered them up in the makeup chair. Not that she was opposed to them, on the contrary tattoos were definitely a weakness for Eden and she was happy she’d get the chance to figure out what they all were throughout the course of filming. Though the few YouTube videos she’d seen, she knew he wasn’t exactly opposed to being shirtless most of the time anyway. 

Eden sighed and narrowed her eyes curiously, head cocked slightly to the side as her brain and her mouth fought before she finally spoke, hoping she wouldn’t offend him so early into their three months together. “Listen, since you’re here and it’s just us… I have a question and please don’t think I’m being a raging bitch by asking.” Colson raised an eyebrow and leaned forward from his position on the couch, eyes never leaving hers. “I doubt whatever is going on inside that head of yours could hurt my feelings, you can ask me whatever you like, I’m an open book for you.” At his words, her stomach did backflips and she had to clear her throat to bring herself back. “Okay, I have nothing against rappers, you seem like you’re a great one from the videos I watched, but my track record with rappers is… not good? And I just want to make sure we’re on the same page.” He let out a full hearty laugh at her words and resumed his leaned back position on the couch. 

“I heard what happened with Lil Heady, you dumped a drink on him and from the way he tells it, you ARE a raging bitch. I’m gonna be honest, he probably deserved it. And for the record, I don’t think you’re a bitch.” He pulled a joint out of his pocket and fished a lighter out as well, holding it up to her, “Do you mind?” She shook her head and he lit up, inhaling deeply before offering it to Eden. “I’m good, thanks though. We’ll have to rain check?” Eden wasn’t opposed to weed, it was really one of her only vices, outside of alcohol, but she knew if she smoked before going on set, it would throw off her groove. He shrugged and took another long hit before exhaling, “I know it’s early in the day, but after filming some of the guys in my crew and I are going out if you really want to get to know me. If you can hang that is.” He let his sentence flutter in the air for a moment before standing, head brushing the ceiling once more. 

Colson held out his hand and spoke, joint hanging out of the side of his mouth, “Let me see your phone.” Eden watched him for a moment before her lips split into a grin and she nodded, passing her phone over without question, “You can show me exactly who Colson is and we can see just how well the next few months are going to be.” His fingers tapped her screen for a bit before he handed her phone back, his ocean blue eyes piercing her soul, “You’ve got my number and I texted myself so it’s settled.” He saluted her with the joint and crossed her floor in two strides, pushing the door open and disappearing around the corner. Whatever just happened, Eden had a feeling this was going to be a wild ride of an experience.

\-----------------------------------------------------

Filming had gone relatively easy thankfully, she’d spent the majority of the day with Mona Roberts who was playing Eden’s characters best friend, though she’d had one scene with Colson that had them running hand in hand down the street while fake rain fell upon them. By the end of the scene she was soaked through, freezing and so ready to put her own blissfully dry clothes back on. She stood in her trailer, hair freshly curled and makeup redone thanks to a makeup team she knew she was going to be stupidly grateful for over the next few months with how much she was going to be crying throughout this film. Eden pulled her dress over her head, the fabric falling against her body as her phone buzzed on the desk. Glancing over, she couldn’t help the smile that widened her cheeks as she saw his name, Colson, and she reached for the phone, unlocking the screen as she went to read his text.

**Colson** : Alright Little Lady, the plan is Drai’s at 10 and then it’s wherever the night takes us.

**Eden** : Perfect, I can meet you there? How down are you if I bring a friend?

**Colson** : Hell yeah! The more the merrier, let’s make it a rager. 

**Eden** : Bet, we’ll be there.

Eden hit the back button on her texts and scrolled down until her eyes rested on the text thread she was looking for, clicking it with a satisfied grin. If she was going out tonight, there was no way she wasn’t inviting her best friend, especially since Larissa was the partier. Eden was happy to tag along but she definitely wasn’t the most comfortable in nightclubs, there was always too many people and too many cameras and if she was going to drink, she’d rather do it where a paparazzi couldn’t sell the photos later, but she was interested to see what a night with the infamous Machine Gun Kelly was like… even if she wasn’t entirely sure what she hoped would come out of the night.

**Eden** : I hope you don’t have plans tonight, but if you do, I’m gonna need you to clear your schedule, best friend rules.

**Larissa** : ...you’re pulling best friend rules right now? You’ve got my attention so what are we doing?

**Eden** : So you know the rapper guy who’s in the movie with me?

**Larissa** : MGK yeah, I’ve listened to his stuff before, he’s good. And he’s hella pretty.

**Eden** : I mean, yes, he is pretty, but he’s my co worker so I gotta be professional and shit. 

**Eden** : He invited me to come and hang out with him and his friends at Drai, so you’re coming with, I need the support pls and thx

**Larissa** : I’m so down, pick me up at like 6 and we can get ready together?

**Eden** : I love you.

**Larissa** : I know. 

If Larissa had been in the room at the moment, Eden very well might have kissed her. Having a best friend who was always down to party and cause mischief was sometimes a headache for the actress, but she wouldn’t have traded her friend in for the world. She snagged her bag off the couch and dropped her phone, fishing her keys from the bottom as she went before letting herself out of the trailer and towards the parking lot.

\-----------------------------------------------------

It was almost six when she pulled into Lar’s driveway, the car idling as she put it in park. She reached for her phone from the clip on the dash to pop off a text to the blonde.

**Eden** : I’m in your driveway!

**Larissa** : Give me 5 pls!

Eden put her phone back on the clip and scrolled through her spotify, looking for something, or rather someone’s stuff, in particular. Settling on one of Colson’s newest albums, she pressed play as the music filled her car. She found herself tapping the console getting way more into it than she would have thought. As her passenger car door opened, she let out a shriek and turned the music down. “LARISSA. You scared the shit out of me!” Larissa rolled her eyes and threw her bags in the backseat before buckling her seat belt. “Well, if someone wasn’t doing homework on her hot co star that she should have done when she got cast, MAYBE she would have seen my pale ass crossing in front of her headlights.” She flashed a grin full of pearly white teeth and chuckled, “Just a thought.”

“Ok, first off, rude. I did do my homework… I just didn’t listen to his music much! I watched a handful of YouTube clips and like, it’s fine. And can we not address how attractive he is tonight? I’m trying not to make a complete ass out of myself.” She flipped the car into reverse and backed down the drive before turning onto the busy street headed towards her own house. Thankfully Larissa lived in the same neighborhood so it wouldn’t take too long to get there. “But he is hot, you can’t tell me you haven’t noticed? You could climb him like a tree girl.” Rolling her eyes, she whipped the car onto her street and sighed, “I do not want to climb him like a tree, because if you remember correctly, I don’t date co stars. I don’t want things to be weird on set.”

“Things will only be weird on set if you make them weird. You can totally appreciate the fact that you get to kiss that smokeshow of a man and you’re gonna party with him. My only request is that you just go with the flow tonight and stop overthinking, you’re gonna give yourself wrinkles.” Larissa popped a piece of gum into her mouth and chewed it dramatically while Eden pulled her car into the drive, killing the engine. “Alright alright, come on, you can help me pick out an outfit.” Eden’s hand came to pinch the bridge of her nose when Larissa let out a shrill squeal, she knew she was probably going to regret this.


	3. Chapter Three: Dancing on Bar Tops Doesn’t Make This Coyote Ugly pt 1

_Summer 2019 Continued_

Eden smoothed the fabric on the black floral dress she’d settled on before leaning down to buckle her black heels. Nerves were getting the best of her, but she knew she needed to just breathe through it. Tonight was just to get to know her co star, nothing too crazy, it was going to be easy peasy… or so she hoped. She made her way into the bathroom, music blaring from Larissa’s phone as she curled a few pieces of her hair and bobbed along to the dulcet tones of Harry Styles, a guy Larissa had once been linked to in the height of his One Direction days. Eden fluffed her hair in the mirror, the curls her hair stylist had put not quite as curled as they once were before she pulled the top drawer of her makeup storage open, pulling out her mascara so she could touch it up, catching Lar’s eye as she swiped it on. “That green is actually stunning on you. You’re gonna break a heart or two tonight girl and I don’t know if I’m ready to see someone cry.”

Lar rolled her eyes and ran a hand across the green velvet of the spaghetti strap mini dress and giggled, tossing her blonde waves over her shoulder with the flick of her head. “If I make someone cry, the night will be a success.” The blonde turned to lean against the edge of the bathroom counter, watching Eden with narrowed eyes, curiosity splashed across her face. “Speaking of breaking hearts… You gonna break Kells heart?” The brunette paused, her hand in front of her eye as the mascara wand stilled. She raised an eyebrow before swiping the wand against her other eye. “Why would you even ask that? I barely know the guy and he’s definitely the type to break whatever girl’s heart he manages to catch.”

Eden pushed the wand back into the packaging and rolled her eyes, rummaging through her lip drawer for a nude lipstick, pulling one out triumphantly. “Seriously, Lar. He and I aren’t going to be a thing, like it’s not going to happen.” Eden was fully aware of the repercussions dating a co star could have. She’d been dubbed a serial co star dater in her younger years, but when you’d been in Hollywood since you were fifteen, you were bound to date a few people you shared the screen with. With Colson, her heart could do as many backflips as it wanted, but she was standing firm because she was trying so hard to cultivate an image that left people saying less child actor and more serious film actress. Larissa held her hands up in faux defense and snorted, “Alright, calm down killer. For someone who’s not into her extremely tall, very hot love interest, you are protesting a lot. Whatever, if you’re not into him, maybe I’ll see if I can’t make the big tough rapper cry.”

At her friends words, Eden’s body tensed, despite knowing Larissa was only joking. The thought of Larissa and Colson actually made her jealous and she was fully aware that feeling of someone that wasn’t her kissing him was going to come back and bite her square on the ass. She swiped the lipstick across her lips and dropped it back in the drawer unceremoniously before heading back into the bedroom. She leaned over to grab her phone off the bed and glanced at the time, 9:15. Okay so they were still making good time, if they left in fifteen, that would put them getting to the club a little after 10, so they wouldn’t be showing up fashionably early. Eden let her body relax onto the edge of the bed and watched Larissa as she finished getting ready, the bright red lipstick she was swiping on standing out against the blonde hair and green of her dress. “Please don’t make him cry, I have to work with him for the next three months. Can you imagine? I feel like I’d never hear the end of it.” 

One leg tucked up underneath her, Eden tapped her free foot on the floor, already feeling the antsiness building. She was going to need a shot before they left otherwise she was going to be a full mess by the time they made it to Drai. Larissa strolled into the bedroom and plopped dramatically on the bed next to Eden as she pulled her heels that were laying haphazard on the floor closer to her, slipping her feet in and standing up with a grin. “Alright Princess, let’s go.” Lar held out a hand, waiting as Eden laced her fingers through the blonde’s letting her pull her to her feet. “I called the Uber while I was in the bathroom, they’ll be here in ten. Let’s do some shots.” 

Eden couldn’t help the eye roll or the snort that escaped her lips as she let Larissa pull her down the stairs and into the kitchen, the blonde dropping Eden’s hand and beelining for the brunette’s liquor cabinet. Even in heels, Larissa was still slightly too short to reach into Eden’s liquor cabinet, so she teetered precariously on her tiptoes as she pulled out a half empty bottle of Ciroc. Turning to face her friend, Larissa spun the top and let it fall into her hand as she took a swig directly from the bottle. “No time for glasses Edy, bottoms up!” Eden took the outstretched bottle and brought it to her lips, upending it and letting the liquid slide down her throat, the burn it left helping to settle the nerves she wished would disappear. 

“God that burns. Why do I drink?” She took another long pull from the bottle before passing it back to Larissa. “Because when you drink, you have fun without overthinking everything. You get to be the Eden you want to be.” Lar took a drink and replaced the cap as she glanced at her phone. “Uber’s here!” 

Eden pulled her phone from her clutch, seeing the Instagram notifications that were causing her to buzz. “I’ll meet you outside. I need to grab my wallet.” She watched as Lar made her way from the kitchen, hearing the door open and shut quickly after. Making her way out of the kitchen, she wandered into her office, heels clicking against the marble floor as she flipped the light on and walked towards her desk, rummaging through the mess to find her wallet that she’d somehow managed to go the whole day without. Slipping it into the clutch that was slung across her body, she stepped back out into the hallway, flipping the light off behind her before heading towards the front door.

\-----------------------------------------------

The Uber ride was uneventful, but Eden could already feel the two shots she’d had making her feel slightly fuzzy. She scrolled through her instagram feed while Larissa chattered away next to her, the words only half registering in Eden’s ears. The driver’s words cut through the blonde’s as he pulled the car up to the curb, “Have a good night ladies.” Eden pushed the back passenger door open ignoring the cameras and their flashes as she stepped out onto the curb, waiting as Larissa did the same. They held hands as Eden led them up to the bouncer, trying to not look at the long line of people waiting to get in. “Eden, welcome back, it’s been awhile.” The tall, beefy bouncer gave Eden a head nod and a slight smile as he spoke. “Mitch! It’s been a minute but life has been a little hectic.” She grinned as he waved them in, “Have fun.”

Eden kept her fingers laced through Larissa’s as they stepped into the club, some tall man in a polo with the club logo stepping in to escort the two girls up and passed everyone to a booth in VIP. She glanced around looking to see if she could see the familiar head of bleach blonde hair, but when she couldn’t spot him, she figured he and his crew were probably also going to be late. She slid into the booth and Larissa spoke up to be heard over the thud of music coming from the below the balcony, “Wait, let me take a picture!” Eden rolled her eyes and turned to face her friend, letting her lips split into a smile, “Okay, but then you have to text it so I can post it.” 

“Duh.” Larissa snapped a few photos before sliding into the booth and passing her phone to Eden so she could pop the bottle of liquor on their table. Eden texted the cutest photo to herself and slid Larissa’s phone back to her as she took the drink she was being offered. “I definitely need more alcohol, I’m far too sober for whoever they have djing tonight.” She took a big swig from her glass before slapping a filter on her photo and posting it to her Instagram. Downing the rest of the drink, she poured another one and raised an eyebrow. “Maybe if I drink enough, I’ll actually be able to dance to the music.”

“I’ve seen you dance to much worse when you were sober, I think you’ll make it work.” Larissa eyed one of the security guards before slipping out of the booth. “I’ve got some work to do.” Eden rolled her eyes as her friend made her way to the security guard who was leaned against the railing, giggling at the slightly exaggerated way Larissa’s hips moved. She was definitely going to get laid tonight. At least one of us is. Eden shook her head and grabbed her phone, seeing that she had a comment on her photo from her currently late co star.

**machinegunkelly** : I see you Little Lady.

He’d followed her as well, so she clicked the follow button in return, eyebrow quirked as she reread his comment. Clearly he had a nickname for her already, because that was at least the third time he’d used it. She wasn’t entirely sure how she felt about it, but she didn’t have too much time to consider it when their relatively quiet corner of the VIP section was taken over by Colson and at least six other guys. He slid into the booth next to her with a grin as the joint in his mouth hung loosely. “Eden! Where’s your friend?” Eden giggled and pointed towards the blonde who had already gotten the security guard to focus solely on whatever words she was currently saying.

“Larissa is a little… preoccupied. But the liquor is good so glad you made it.” She gestured towards the open bottle before sipping on her own. The fuzzy feeling was starting to intensify but she definitely wasn’t upset about it. Colson took a hit off the joint before holding it out to her, “How about that raincheck?” He smirked as she took it from him, inhaling deeply before releasing the smoke. “Thank God we have a late start tomorrow because I have a feeling I’m going to be very very hungover.” She took another hit before passing it back to him, letting the smoke roll out of her mouth. 

“You planning on showing me up then Little Lady? Because these guys can outdrink pretty much anyone.” He nodded towards the guys who’d piled up into the booth across from them, Eden laughing as a short guy with quite a few tattoos upended the bottle into his mouth as if in agreement. Colson pointed at each guy as he went, “Rook, Slim, Baze. They can drink and fuck with the best of them. I know because I’ve seen way too much on the tour bus.” Slim rolled his eyes and took a hit off the joint he had between his fingers, “You say that like I haven’t seen your dick in a sock before.” Colson shrugged and took a drink from the bottle Rook held out to him. 

“We’re gonna need to keep this liquor flowing.” He gestured to the server who was wandering around and she nodded, heading down the stairs. “What’s your poison?” Eden cocked her head as she readjusted her legs, “Vodka, but I’ll drink pretty much anything. And I might not be able to outdrink your boys, but I can give you guys a run for your money.” She smiled sweetly and downed the rest of her drink, before taking the bottle from Colson’s hands. Taking a couple of pulls, she set it down on the table. She couldn’t help but be pleased with herself as the guys in the booth gave her a few glances, but it was Colson’s face who gave her pause as he looked her over, his expression almost unreadable. 

“Yeah, you’re gonna be fucking hungover tomorrow.” He moved closer to her in the booth, their knees touching as Larissa meandered back over, her lipstick smudged as she ran a finger over the smear to touch it up. “Security guard says he’s a big fan of my work. After that kiss, he had better be.” She raised an eyebrow as she took in the current company in their formerly empty booth. “Larissa Valentine.” The guys introduced themselves again before Rook offered Lar a hit off the joint that was being passed around. She took it and slid into the booth next to him, inhaling enough to cough just slightly before she took a drink from the bottle. 

Larissa spoke like she was holding court, bottle as her gavel. “Alright boys, who’s going to show me their dance moves because I am no longer sober and I do not want to sit.” One of the guys Eden hadn’t quite caught their name moved to stand up but Rook wrapped an arm around Larissa’s shoulders with a grin. “Come on, I’m sure we can get into some trouble.” Larissa slid out of the booth, her hand looping around his waist as she shot Eden a pointed glance. Eden knew exactly what the blonde was trying to tell her, but there was no way she was going to ask Colson. 

She couldn’t help but be painfully aware of how close he was sitting to her, their knees pressed against each other, his arm slung around the back of the booth, dangerously close to her shoulders. Eden knew she probably should have called it quits on the alcohol in that moment, but when the server brought back four more bottles, she grabbed one and popped the lid before drinking directly from the mouth, thankful for the burning sensation as it slipped down her throat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've also been posting this on Wattpad and fully forgot to update here, so for anyone who's reading this, I'm so sorry! Please leave kudos and comments and let me know how you're liking it! Also! As an aside, I do have a cast list for this and it's as follows:
> 
> Danielle Campbell as Eden Harrington  
> Machine Gun Kelly as Himself  
> Dove Cameron as Larissa Valentine  
> Emily Bett Rickards as Mona Roberts  
> Oliver Jackson-Cohen as Brent Capaldi  
> Scott Eastwood as Parker Dean
> 
> I will probably add faces as I go also because I have truly no idea where this story will take me.


	4. Chapter Four: Dancing on Bar Tops Doesn’t Make This Coyote Ugly pt 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I fully keep forgetting to update chapters here, but if you're on Wattpad, check me out at adelaide_lee! There is also social media content in that book that adds a little something extra so please stop by and check it out!

Summer 2019 Continued

The hours crawled by and Eden could feel just how drunk she was, but in the moment, she had no care in the world. Their booth had become crowded with scantily clad women who were draping themselves across the guys and she found herself wanting to get away and dance and not let the ball of jealousy in her stomach continue to grow as she watched some blonde throw herself at Colson. 

She grabbed the bottle of vodka from the table and slipped past people as she accidentally brushed Colson’s arm with her dress, his eyes following her as she descended down the stairs, somehow not losing her balance in her heels. Her feet led her to the dance floor, lips wrapped around the bottle as she moved her hips. Eden felt someone come up and slip a hand around her waist as they danced closer to her and she turned finding a handsome stranger staring back at her. Grinding her hips into his, she raised the bottle in the air, a laugh passing her lips as their bodies moved together, his hands tightening on her hips.

Eden lost herself in the music, eyes closed as she moved until she was brought back to the flashing lights of the dance floor as Larissa came to a stop in front of her, snagging the bottle and bringing it to her lips with a grin. 

“Hey buddy! I’m gonna steal her now.” Lar didn’t give the guy behind Eden a chance to acknowledge her before she’d wrapped her hand in her friends and pulled her to the bar, flagging down the bartender and setting the empty vodka bottle on the bar top. “Can we get two whiskey sours on the rocks?” The bartender eyed the girls up and down before nodding and grabbing two glasses, swiftly pouring the ingredients and setting it down in front of Eden who passed one to Larissa. 

The two girls leaned against the bar, Eden focusing hard on the girl in front of her as she felt her words slurring slightly. Larissa rambled on about Rook and how she should have known a drummer would be good with his hands when both girls were interrupted by two men, both very much in their personal space. Eden leaned in towards the shorter brunette who stood beside her and grinned, “How thirsty are you?” 

A look of confusion passed across the guy’s face and Eden took advantage as she used his arm for leverage and hoisted herself up onto the bar top. As the bartender made his way over to her, she spoke in his ear, “Add a bottle of vodka to my tab?” The bartender rolled his eyes and gave her a half hearted thumbs up before reaching behind him and pulling a bottle to pass to her. Eden kissed him on the cheek and pushed herself up so she was crouched on the bar top.   
“Open up.” She tilted the bottle forwards as the brunette realized what she was doing and let her pour the alcohol into his mouth. She ruffled his hair before standing up completely, hips swaying to the music as she drank from the bottle. No one even gave her a second glance as she moved, everyone either too drunk or too used to the antics of young Hollywood to care. 

“Wait, Lar, come up here!” Eden swayed slightly on her heels and raised an eyebrow before pulling the blonde up onto the bar top, throwing her hands in the air with a squeal. The girls danced as the two guys who’d been trying to chat them up pulled their phones out and started recording. If Eden had been sober, she would have been mortified to know she was absolutely going to end up on TMZ before the night was over, but she really didn’t care. For the first time in months, she was letting loose and she’d be damned if someone was going to ruin it. 

They passed the bottle between the two of them and as the DJ changed the song, Eden moved too quickly and felt her ankle go out from under her, resigning herself to the fact that she was going to faceplant. Before she fell far, arms slipped underneath her and caught her, a chuckle following as she found herself looking up into the blue eyes of the one guy she wanted so badly to avoid right now, especially in her drunken state. “Hi.” The word fell out breathlessly as she stared at him, his lips curled into a grin.

“Who knew you’d fall for me so fast?” Colson let out a deep laugh as she smacked him, setting her down and stepping back slightly. “No need for aggression, unless you want to take this somewhere more private?” Eden’s eyes widened at his words and she clutched the vodka bottle she’d managed to hold on to close to her chest, as if it would protect her from how fast her heart was beating. 

Her body was hot and she wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol, embarrassment or something else entirely but she closed the gap between them and laced her fingers through his, pulling him through the mass of bodies on the dance floor, pointedly ignoring Larissa who was still up on the bar dancing. She found herself at the back entrance to the club, a bouncer standing off to the side as she handed him the bottle of alcohol and pushed the door open, stepping out into cool Los Angeles evening, dragging Colson with her. 

Eden couldn’t form words and she wasn’t sure she’d talk even if she could, but she grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him towards her, her back hitting the brick of the building, Colson leaning down to capture her lips in his, his hand flat against the wall, boxing her in. She let herself sink into the kiss as she kissed him with fervor wanting this moment to never end and she felt his free arm travel down her body, cupping her butt as he pulled her closer to him. Eden could have lived in this moment forever until the click of a shutter followed by a bright flash brought her back to reality and they broke apart, Colson’s arm still above her. Shit, she was really going to end up on TMZ and it was no one’s fault but her own, she thought as she slipped under his arm and slipped back inside the club. 

Shit, shit, shit, shit. She made her way through the crowds and back up to the VIP booth before sliding in next to Slim who had his arm around a leggy woman perched on his lap who must have been a model with how gorgeous her skin was. He tilted his head, eyes questioning as she shook her head, only taking a hit off the joint he offered to try and calm herself down. 

It was a few moments after Eden sat down that Colson slid into the booth next to her, eyes searching her face. She glanced up at him through her eyelashes and gave him a tight smile as he leaned in close, words quiet enough only she could hear. “Are you good? Do you want me to take you home?” 

His concern was cute and she hated that it made her crack the tiniest of smiles when she knew she was going to be on all the gossip sites tomorrow. She would be very surprised if she didn’t start getting notifications from the TMZ article that was inevitably being written as they sat there. “I’m okay. I don’t think I’ve ever sobered up faster, but I’m okay.” Eden felt his hand on her thigh and she knew she should move it, especially knowing that she’d just completely broken her own rules and kissed him, but the spot where his hand rested on her bare skin was making her feel so many things at once. 

“You prepared for everything that’s gonna get posted then?” At his words, she placed her hand over his and shook her head, wanting to not think about just how much of a shit show tomorrow was going to actually be. “Let’s just enjoy the rest of tonight, we’ll deal with it when we have to.” She laced her fingers through his, fully aware that when she completely sobered up she was going to be so mad at herself but right now she just wanted to be here, in the present with Colson.


	5. I Want You to Ruin My Life

Spring 2020

Eden couldn’t believe she’d hooked up with him the first time she’d seen him since the breakup. How could she have been so stupid? She turned over in her bed, legs splayed as she hugged her pillow to the side of her face to try and hide from the thoughts of last night and the sunlight creeping in through her bedroom window. The more she thought of last night though, the more her entire body warmed up and she kicked the blankets off, hearing them hit the floor with a soft thud, a sigh passing her lips that she felt down to her core. Her phone buzzed on the nightstand beside her and she flung her arm over, fingers searching until they came in contact with her phone, grasping it as she brought it in front of her face, eyes focusing on notifications lighting up her screen.

A few Twitter notifications caught her eye as she scanned, mentally noting she needed to reply to the DM from Malcolm Pierre about working with his fashion line at some point because that would be an absolute dream. A text from Parker asking what her plans were for the day popped up followed by the familiar name with that stupid black heart emoji that caused her heart to skip several beats. It was 9am on a Saturday, why was he already up and causing her brain to malfunction? 

She closed her eyes for a moment and steadied her breathing before opening her eyes and clicking on the text, the screen popping up.

Colson: You might ignore this and if I’m honest, I wouldn’t blame you if you did, but it’s just me at the house today and I figured we needed to talk. Come over whenever, just hit me up. Please?

Eden processed the text, reading it a few times before accepting the fact that he was actually right and they did need to talk about… whatever last night was. She wanted nothing more than to forget about it, but after months of no contact, she knew it was time to finally figure out where things stood. The thought of Parker popped into her head and she scooted herself up so her back was against the headboard as she backed out of the text from Colson and clicked on the notification from Parker.

Eden: I’ve got some stuff planned for today, but I’ll message you later if I end up with some free time. 

Clicking on Colson’s name, her fingers ghosted across the keyboard on the screen before she hit send and tossed her legs over the side of the bed, dodging her fallen bedclothes.

Eden: Give me like half an hour. 

Palming her phone, she wandered into the bathroom, setting her phone down on the counter and pressing play on whatever song she’d been listening to last as she inspected the damage from the night before. Shit. Her neck and collarbone were covered in hickies, something Colson was always eager to leave behind. Her fingers ran across a particularly deep purple colored spot before rolling her eyes and pulling her hair up into a loose high ponytail, using the hair tie on her wrist to secure it. It’s going to take so much concealer to cover all of these up which means I’m definitely not going to see Parker for a few days, she thought as she grabbed her toothbrush and squirted some toothpaste on it.

She ran the brush over her teeth, bopping her head along to Lizzo when her phone dinged. Toothbrush hanging from her mouth, she paused seeing Colson’s name.

Colson: Bet. 

Rolling her eyes, she finished brushing her teeth before snagging her phone as she exited the bathroom and found herself in her closet, pulling out a pair of clean underwear, some baggy grey sweatpants, a black crop top and a grey zip up hoodie, tossing them over her shoulder before she made her way back into her bedroom, bending over to bundle up her duvet before plopping it and her clothes unceremoniously on her bed.

She slipped out of her tank top and sleep shorts, tossing them and her underwear in the general direction of her hamper, making another mental note to deal with them when she got back. Slipping into clean clothes, Eden turned and crossed the floor to her vanity, plopping into the chair with a sigh as she opened the drawer and dug around for her concealer and color corrector. As she patted them on and worked to blend them, she sighed noiselessly as the dark marks began to fade enough that from a distance, you wouldn’t even question their existence. 

Eden slipped her phone into her hoodie pocket and made to leave her room when she realized she was fully and completely barefoot. Rolling her eyes, she made her way back into the closet grabbing a pair of socks and her Adidas Superstars, pulling them both on as she tried to keep herself from falling over with one foot on the ground. Once she’d finished she double checked she had everything, grabbing her wallet and keys off the nightstand as she went. 

It didn’t take her long to get out of her house and into her car, her brain navigating it’s way to Colson’s without much effort. It was a drive she’d made almost daily for three months and she didn’t think she’d ever forget how to get there as much as she wished she could forget sometimes. Pulling into his driveway she killed the engine and sat in the car in silence, unsure if she could actually bring herself to get out of the car. Her fingers drummed against the steering wheel as she psyched herself up, talking to herself in the rearview mirror. 

“Get it together Eden. That man knows you better than most people, you can’t hide from him and you know it. So get the fuck out of the car, and handle your shit.” 

She pushed the door open and stepped out, letting her door snap shut. She stared up at the house for a moment, memories rushing back in of the nights she’d spent there with Colson and with his friends… her friends too. She’d kept in contact with Rook over the last few months and every now and then she’d get a text from one of the other guys as well just to check in, something that she’d found oddly comforting. The guys had understood why she’d had to leave and it was all she could take to not cry when she thought about leaving Colson, but it had truly been in her best interest. 

Eden let her feet carry her up the walkway to the front door purely on muscle memory as she continued to dwell in her own thoughts, not even realizing she’d opened the door and stepped into the house. He had such a bad habit of not locking his doors but for once she was thankful so she didn’t need to knock. The sound of music from upstairs caught her attention and she made her way up the staircase, fingers trailing the banister as she found herself in front of the door to Colson’s bedroom. 

She knocked, loud enough to be heard over the sounds of rap music as it drifted through the walls, her arm falling as she tucked her hand into her hoodie pocket. The door opened and her chest tightened as she made eye contact with him, taking note of the fact that he was only in a pair of loose fitting shorts. 

Eden gave him a tight smile, “Your door was unlocked so I let myself in. I hope that’s okay?”

“Out of all the people that could waltz into my house without knocking, you’re at the top of the list, you know that Edes.” Colson stepped back and waited for her to step inside before letting the door shut with a soft click. 

His words sent a shiver down her spine as she plopped onto the edge of his bed, adjusting to face him as he reclined back against the pillows. She kicked off her shoes so she could tuck her feet underneath her, body weight leaning on her arm as she propped herself up. 

“So where is everyone today?” It was such a non starter, but she was genuinely curious. Colson normally always had a full house with the guys all living together and any number of girls that seemed to come and go, so to see the house empty was such a rarity. 

“Baze needed some more stuff for the Jeep and I have no idea where everyone else is. I woke up and they were all gone. Rook has a show tonight at a club, but other than that who knows.” He watched her for a moment, his legs outstretched in front of him and Eden could almost hear the questions in his head knowing what he was about to ask.

“Colson, I-” 

“Hold up, lemme say what I need to say before you go storming out again.” The vivid memory of the night they broke up crossed her mind, just how angry she was and how sad they both were. How angry she’d left. “For five months I avoided you, I gave you the space you asked for. But whatever last night was? I miss that. I miss us.”

Eden could help the snort that left her throat at his words. “You mean you miss us getting drunk and having sex at random parties? Because there wasn’t a lot of talking going on last night if I remember correctly. Colson, I don’t know if there can be an us. I’ve spent the last few months trying to fix all the shit I messed up when we were together. Brent had to work over time with my publicist to try and curb all the stories in The Enquirer about why we split and how I was “some washed up starlet with an alcohol problem trying to stay relevant.”

Colson’s eyes darkened at the mention of Brent and he ran a hand across his hair with a huff. “Don’t talk to me about what Brent had to do. I’m sure he was just happy to know you weren’t with me.”

Eden could feel the confusion on her face at his hostility towards her manager. Yeah, Brent had tried to talk her out of dating him in the beginning, but he eventually dropped the subject until he found out they had broken up. “What’s your problem with Brent? He’s just been doing his job and trying to keep me from falling apart.”

“Yeah and is him being in love with you part of his job, or is that just an unmentioned side hustle?” Colson shifted so he was leaning further up against the pillows, but Eden couldn’t help but notice his legs were much closer to her than before.

“Brent isn’t in love with me, I think I would have figured that out by this point.” She sighed and resisted the urge to roll her eyes. There was no way Brent was in love with her, he’d been her manager for almost two years and she’d never once felt like that was the case. 

“Maybe I’m wrong, but I wasn’t lying when I said I miss you. And I know the last few months have been crazy for you, I kept up with everything that was being said. You can’t deny that last night felt right though.” 

She chewed on the inside of her lip, letting his words sink in as her free hand came up to her neck, feeling the tenderness underneath the makeup. He was right and they both knew it, but even thinking about diving back into his world gave her a pause. “It did feel right, I can’t say it didn’t, but it doesn’t change the fact that I can’t keep up with your lifestyle. I thought I had gotten over you, I was doing so well and seeing you last night…” 

Eden found herself adjusting on the bed so she was sitting on her knees as she watched him, Colson staring at her as she continued to speak. “Everything I thought I’d let go of came flooding back and it was like I couldn’t breathe. I miss you too, but I just don’t know if I can do it again.”

Colson nodded his head at her words before he moved from the pillows so he was sitting in front of her, his hand finding the side of her face, cupping it as she instinctively leaned in to it. “We don’t have to do anything crazy right now, but what if- what if we took it slow? Kept things between us. You don’t have to be around things until you’re ready, if you’re ever ready. I just know that it doesn’t matter how many other girls there are, it always comes back to you.”

What he said made sense and if Eden were being completely honest with herself, Parker was just the distraction to keep her mind off of Colson and the fact that she was completely and totally in love with him, something she’d never actually said to him. They’d been electric together, Colson pulling Eden out of her shell and Eden balancing him out when he went too far, but she didn’t know if she had it in her to go through the heartbreak again. 

Her hand came up to cup his and she took a deep breath as she spoke, “We can take it one day at a time, but you’re right about one thing, it always comes back to you.” He would always be the one she came back to, because she did love him and being away from him had been one of the hardest things she’d ever chosen to do. 

Colson leaned in and Eden followed, their lips touching softly, but Eden felt it all the way in her toes. It was the kind of kiss she’d been missing with Parker but with Colson, it was almost effortless. As he deepened the kiss, his hand came down to her neck, smudging the concealer as he went. His forehead against hers, he chuckled, his breath hot against her lips. “I know they’re there, I wanna see them.” 

She shivered at his words and let her now free hand fall to the bare skin of his back, her fingernails lightly tracing his tattoos. A past time she hadn’t realized she’d been missing until this moment. Colson moved backwards on the bed, his back finding the pillows as he indicated for Eden to follow, patting the empty spot next to him. She chuckled and rolled her eyes slightly as she crawled across the bed and into the crook of his arm, head resting on his chest. “There they are. I told you I wanted to see them. Parker isn’t going to like that.” Colson’s hand traced one of the hickies that was peeking through and Eden smacked his chest, feeling it vibrate with laughter underneath her. 

“Stop that, I look like I lost a fight.” Eden scooted in closer to his side, her arm across his stomach as she looked up at him. 

“If that’s losing a fight, we might have to fight more often.” She felt his hand on her ponytail as he slid the elastic out, placing it on his own wrist. His fingers combed through her hair and it didn’t take long before she was dozing off, feeling the most at peace that she’d been in a very long time. 

She wasn’t sure how long she’d been out, but she awoke to the sounds of voices in the hallway and the lingering smell of weed clouding the room as she realized she was alone, curled up in the same spot she’d fallen asleep in. 

Shit. If there was another person here, it was going to make the whole ‘keep it between them’ thing stupidly hard. Eden rolled off the bed and nearly caught her elbow on the edge of Colson’s nightstand as she hurriedly put her shoes on and fixed her hair so it hopefully looked like she hadn’t been asleep. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and glanced at it, noting the fact she’d been asleep for at least an hour and a half and had missed calls from Larissa, Parker and Brent. Palming her phone, she grabbed one of Colson’s shirts off the floor, giving it a quick sniff to make sure it was decently clean before she opened the door, nearly coming nose to nose with Rook. 

Rook looked slightly alarmed at the fact that Eden was coming out of Colson’s room, eyebrow quirked as his eyes moved back and forth between her and Colson. “Eden, I didn’t expect to see you here.”

She gave him a little wave with the shirt balled up in her hand and smile she hoped wasn’t as uncomfortable as it felt. “Yeah! It was an unexpected visit. Colson found a shirt of mine when he was going through stuff and thought I might want it back. I was in the neighborhood so I figured I’d stop by.” 

Eden could see Colson trying to hide the smirk that threatened to expose her bluff but instead he took a hit off the blunt in his hands, eyes twinkling. Rook pursed his lips and watched her for a moment before shaking his head. “Well, it was good to see you. I’m playing a show tonight and it’d be great to see you there?”

“Absolutely! Just text me the details and I’ll be there. I wouldn’t miss seeing you kick ass on the drums for anything.” She turned to Colson and took the blunt from him, inhaling deeply and letting it out slowly. Coughing slightly, she passed it back to him and waved the shirt awkwardly. “Um thanks for this by the way. I’ve been missing it.”

Colson took another hit and nodded his head with a slight smile. “Of course, it does me no good, I can’t wear it so I figured you’d get more use out of it again.”

She started to move towards the stairs, giving the guys a smile, “Well, I’m gonna go, Rook I’ll see you tonight, Colson, I guess I’ll see you too then?”

“Where else would I be?” He smirked slightly as Rook waved goodbye and she traipsed down the stairs as quickly as she could with hurting herself, bounding out the front door. She’d barely made it to her car before she felt her pocket vibrate.

Colson: Don’t lie, you just needed an excuse to steal one of my shirts. 

Eden: Um, no. Someone let me sleep and didn’t feel the need to wake me when someone came home.

Colson: You’re cute when you sleep, besides you had a long night last night, I figured you needed some extra recovery.

Eden: If I weren’t so flustered, I would have a wittier comeback.

Colson: Enjoy the shirt, I’ll see you tonight Little Lady. 

What in the world had she just gotten herself into? 


	6. You'd Be Number One In Myspace Top 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm currently adding all the chapters I've got posted over on Wattpad because I fully forget I have this cross posted, but this chapter definitely contains smut so, there's your warning.

Spring 2020

Music pumped through the bluetooth speaker Eden had set up in her kitchen as she danced around, singing along to Halsey’s newest album, spatula in hand while her veggies sizzled in the skillet on the stove. She’d been home from Colson’s for a few hours and had successfully dodged Parker, letting him know she’d see him at some point tomorrow. To be completely honest, she didn’t know what she was going to tell him, but she knew she couldn’t keep seeing him even if she and Colson weren’t telling anyone about them trying again.

She knew it was wrong to string Parker along, especially when he’d been so sweet the last few months, but Eden knew from the moment she and Parker had started hooking up that it would never be more than just casual dating. She’d never even met his family, not that she’d wanted to. With Colson, she’d at least met Casie a few times, though with her spending more time in Cleveland with her mom, it hadn’t been often. 

Her phone dinged and she set the spatula down before leaning over the counter to see who was texting her. Her personal assistant's name popped up and she chuckled at the picture Reagan had sent, her hands covered in paint that she was supposed to be bringing to Eden’s house so they could start painting an accent wall in her office.

Reagan: The paint is okay, my hands however may be orange forever. 

Eden: Oh no! Well at least orange is a good color on you? Haha

Reagan: Do you want me to bring this by today or hold on to it until tomorrow? 

Eden: You can come by now! I made too much food for just myself anyway.

Reagan: Perfect, I’ll be there in like 45!

Eden snorted and turned back to the stove, bending down to check on the chicken she had roasting in the oven. Reagan had only been her assistant for six months, but she’d become one of Eden’s closest friends, someone Eden was happy to have around to help clean up her messes, emotionally and physically.

Her phone dinged once more and she straightened, a smile on her lips as she saw Rook’s name.

Rookie: I just sent you the address for tonight. I’m glad you’re coming out, it’s been awhile since we partied. I’ll make sure he’s on his best behavior. 

Eden didn’t have to question who he meant by that and she couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her as she replied. 

Eden: You’re the best. Can’t wait to see you play again!

As she moved to set her phone down, she heard her front door open and a voice call out, “Returning a phone call really isn’t that hard, you know. How are you gonna do me like that?” Larissa made her way into the kitchen and perched herself on the edge of the counter, legs swinging as she furrowed her eyebrows in Eden’s direction.

“Shit. I’m so sorry Lar, I’ve been super distracted today.” She tugged at the jacket she was still wearing from that morning, hoping it would hide the hickies she still needed to recover after Colson had wiped away her concealer, but of course the blonde caught the movement. 

“Damn, Parker got you good didn’t he?” Larissa laughed and leaned forward as she inspected the marks. 

Eden’s eyes widened slightly but she recovered and nodded, thankful her friend had given her an out. “Yeah. He got super handsy at the party we went to last night. I still need to cover them before I go to Rook’s gig tonight.” 

It wasn’t like Larissa wouldn’t find out she was there. It was inevitably going to end up on someone’s instagram story and TMZ and who knows what else because with Colson going too, it was going to start up the rumors and speculation. 

“You’re going to Rook’s show? Why?” The blonde and the drummer had hooked up a few times while Eden and Colson were dating, but in the end, Larissa had ended up with Heath Diamond, and they’d been officially dating for like 7 months. Heath was good for Larissa. Patient and could put up with her dramatics while holding his own. 

Eden ran a hand through her hair and sighed. “I was at Colson’s this morning to get a shirt of mine I’d left that he found and Rook asked me if I would go. I couldn’t tell him no. Just because I’m not with his best friend doesn’t mean I can’t still support Rook, right?” She was on a slippery slope, but she knew if she played her cards right, no one would figure out about her and Colson. 

“Wait, hold up… You went to their house? For a shirt? When was the last time you actually talked to Colson and you just decided to pop over?” Eden could hear the confusion and hostility that had creeped into Larissa’s voice, but she couldn’t blame her. The blonde had been there for Eden after the breakup and had seen first hand just how bad Eden handled things. She turned off the veggies and moved them off the burner before turning back to her friend, eyes finding hers. 

“He texted me this morning telling me he’d found a shirt of mine and asked if I wanted to come over and get it. That was it. I’m okay, I’m not going to spiral because I saw him.” If only Larissa knew just how much of him Eden had seen in the last 24 hours, she would probably not have given in quite as easily, but she could see Larissa visibly relax, thankful she wasn’t going to pry too much.

“That’s fair. I just don’t want you to get tangled back up in that. You’ve got a good thing going right now and it would suck to ruin it.” Larissa’s phone started to ring and she picked it up, mouthing Heath as she answered. “Hey babe! I just stopped by Eden’s for a minute but I’m headed your way now. Yeah, absolutely. I’ll be there in a bit. Love you too.” Hitting the end call button, Larissa scooted off the counter and let her feet hit the floor with a light thud, reaching out to rest her hands on Eden’s forearms. 

“I told Heath I would meet him for an early dinner so I have to bounce, but you know I love you and I just want you to be happy, right?” 

Eden nodded and wrapped her arms around Larissa, pulling her in for a hug. “I know and I promise I’m okay.” 

“Alright well return my phone calls so I don’t think you’re dead somewhere, okay?” Larissa turned and started to make her way out into the living room with a grin. 

“Tell Heath I said hi.” Eden rolled her eyes and waved the blonde out and it wasn’t long before she heard the door close. This was going to be harder than she anticipated, but if he was willing to let her go slow, even after she’d been the one to leave him in the first place, they could try to make it work. 

She kept herself busy around the kitchen, taking out two plates so she could plate the chicken after it had cooled a little bit more, anticipating Reagan’s arrival any moment. Pulling open the fridge, she glanced at the clock and noticed it was nearly 3pm, pulling out a water bottle and a bottle of Michelob Ultra before leaning back against the counter and using the edge to pop the cap off the beer. Hearing the front door open once more, she called out “I’m in the kitchen!”

Reagan rounded the corner, her orange splattered hands on display as she shook her head. “I left the paint in the garage, unless you wanted to work on it today?”

“Girl it’s Saturday, we can wait to do actual work until Monday. Besides, I have a thing tonight.” Eden grabbed an oven mitt from the drawer and opened the oven door, pulling the chicken out and setting it next to the vegetables on the stove top. Reagan looked slightly alarmed and she flipped through the calendar on her phone as Eden could see the panic rising. “You’ve got a thing? I don’t have a thing written down for tonight, did I miss something?”

Eden couldn’t help the snort that escaped her as she laid a hand on Reagan’s arm. “Girl you’re good. This is a thing that I found out about today. I’m going to watch Rook play a show tonight at some bar.”

Reagan had only been around Eden and Colson for the last few weeks of their relationship, but she’d done her homework on the actress when she got hired and had listened to Eden the first few months post breakup so she knew that where Rook was, Colson was bound to be too. “Okay, that’s definitely not what I expected you to say, but that’s fine. We can work with that. Are you gonna be okay around him?”

Eden knew that Reagan didn’t mean Rook and she sighed, plating the food before setting one of the dishes down in front of her assistant. “I will be just fine around Colson. It’s been five months, I can’t avoid him forever. This town isn’t that big. And I won’t get drunk, just being near him will give US Weekly enough tabloid fodder for the next three weeks.”

Reagan chuckled half heartedly as she took a bite of chicken, nodding along. “It’s your world, I just work here. You know if you need me at all tonight you can text me. That’s what I’m here for.”

The brunette nodded as she speared a piece of broccoli on the end of her fork, glaring at for just a moment before she bit down. “I know, it’s why I appreciate you as much as I do. You don’t get annoyed when I text you at 2am on a Saturday night. But I promise I’ll keep my wits about me, he’s just an ex boyfriend right? Besides, I’m not going for him, I’m going for Rook. It’s just unavoidable Colson will be there.”

Eden focused on eating, happy for a slight distraction as Reagan rattled on about what had happened at the paint store, the two women standing in her kitchen chatting about whatever came to mind as the time passed by. Glancing at the clock she realized if she was going to make this show, she should probably start getting ready. “Stay and hang out if you want, but I need to get dressed.” 

Her assistant glanced down at her phone and back up at Eden with a grin. “As tempting as it is to stay and use your pool, I need to do a grocery run of my own and my cat needs snuggles. Thank you for food, you know it’s the way to my heart. Text me if you need me.” Saluting Eden with a grin, she turned on her heels and headed out of the house while Eden made her way upstairs. 

With this being a night of watching Rook on the drums in a crowded bar, Eden wasn’t looking to get too dressed up in the hopes that she could remain somewhat inconspicuous so she stepped into her closet and sorted through the clothes, settling on a sleeveless shirt with a neckline high enough to cover the hickies that dotted her skin, a pair of ripped skinny jeans and her thigh high velvet black boots. Once she was dressed, she made her way into the bathroom, turning on the curling iron that was still plugged in from the night before, letting it heat up as she worked on her makeup.   
She had zero intentions of getting drunk so Eden climbed into the driver's seat of her car and turned the key over in the ignition, the car purring to life around her. Sure she could have taken an Uber, but taking her own vehicle meant a quick get away if she needed to leave. The closer she got to the club, the more her heart started to flutter, unsure of how hanging around Colson in a bar full of women who would inevitably throw themselves at him was going to be good for her, but if wanted to have her back, she was going to have to trust him as much as that scared her. 

Swinging into the valet, she stepped out and handed the man her keys, letting him take her car off to parking as she made her way to the entrance to the bar, the bouncer waving her in with his hand. The bar was already full and she could see where Rook’s drumset was set up but his set wasn’t to start for another hour. Snaking her way through the crowd, she headed toward the VIP section knowing she was going to find her friends, but in what state was to be determined. 

Spotting their booths, she decided to slide in next to the one commandeered by Rook and Slim, avoiding the space next to Colson, catching his eye as he did. Wrapping an arm around Rook’s shoulder, he turned and gave her a grin “You made it!” 

“Did you think I wouldn’t? I’ve missed watching you play so I’m gonna make sure you see me rocking out as hard as I can.” Eden winked at him and blew Slim a kiss who, for what it was worth, didn’t seem quite surprised that she was there for the first time in months. Slim pretended to catch the kiss and put it in his pocket before he leaned in so she could hear him across the table. “I’m glad you’re here, we’ve missed you around.” Her lips split into a grin and she nodded along. “I’ve missed you guys too. I did come straight to you guys so I need a drink. I’m gonna go to the bar.”

Sliding out of the booth she wound her way to the bar, leaning onto the sticky bartop as the bartender made his way over. Ordering a whiskey sour, the bartender set it down in front of her with a grin and she smiled back, turning to make her way through the crowd once more. She caught Colson’s eye, not realizing he had vacated the booth as well. He inclined his head, motioning for her to follow him, her head nodding slightly as he turned and made his way towards the bathrooms, Eden following far enough behind it wouldn’t seem like they were together. 

She downed the drink in her hand and left the glass on an empty table as she passed by looking around before she entered the bathroom behind him, locking the door as she went. She was thankful for the single stall bathrooms at this moment as she looked up at him. “This whole meeting up in bathrooms is already getting old.”

Colson snorted and reached out to pull her closer to him in the small bathroom, arms wrapped around Eden’s waist. “I kinda fuck with this having to hide in plain sight. It makes it way hotter.” His hands were traveling dangerously low, fingers trailing across the exposed skin of her stomach from where her shirt had ridden up, one hand dancing around to cup her butt while the other trailed down her hips and over the top of her thighs. She shivered, for once sure it wasn’t because she was cold as she wrapped her hands around his neck, her eyes finding his as she noticed how dark they’d gotten. “The chances of someone realizing why two people would be walking out of this bathroom are very high so as much as I would like to continue this, I think it might be better if we continued this later…” Eden used her hands on his neck as leverage so she could pull his face to hers, lips grazing against his. 

She knew she was teasing him, but she was really not wanting this to end up in TMZ. They’d been the subject of enough of their gossip, she wasn’t keen to give them something else to talk about. Letting one of her hands drop to the front of his jeans, she palmed him, feeling the tent against her hands. Deepening the kiss, Colson’s hand found her hair as he laced his fingers through it, pulling her head back with a firm movement causing her to look up at him. “You’re such a tease, Little Lady, but you’re right. This is to be continued.” He let his hand drop, nipping at her bottom lip before stepping back, eyes watching her. 

“You know the drill, you go first.” He gestured toward the door and for half a second she hesitated, ready to say fuck it, but she flipped the switch and slipped out, thankful there was no one in line for the bathroom. It truly was amazing just how much Colson had a hold on her, body and mind and she ran her fingers across her lips, wanting nothing more than to have Colson’s lips against them again. She paused at the bar and ordered another drink, seeing Colson slip back into the VIP area from the corner of her eye. Taking her drink, she turned to see Rook settling in at the drum set so she maneuvered her way to a spot she would have a solid view and he’d be able to see her as he played. 

For the next hour Rook killed it on the drums while Eden made sure to stay away from Colson, pointedly ignoring anytime she felt his eyes on her, instead dancing to the music as she nursed her drink. She wanted so badly to say to hell with it all and just jump him, but out of all of the things she could do, that was definitely not one of them. As Rook’s set came to an end, Eden cheered loudly and let out a wolf whistle, causing Rook to point at her with one of his drumsticks. Weaving her way back to the VIP section, she slid past a few girls who were lingering and waiting for Rook and the guys to come back over, inching onto the booth seat and sipping her drink. Slim was the first to make it back followed by Baze and Colson and rounded out by Rook and an entourage of girls who were all expecting to get lucky with one of them. 

Eden rolled her eyes and took a long hit off the joint that Slim held out to her, letting the smoke fill her lungs before she exhaled with a sigh and a cough. She passed it back and locked eyes with Colson as a bottle blonde slipped an arm around his shoulder. Raising an eyebrow, she couldn’t help but try and stifle the snort that threatened to escape as he shrugged the woman off, her face flushed with embarrassment as she moved onto Baze. Eden pulled her phone out of her back pocket and found Colson’s name.

Eden: I’m about to head out. You remember how to get to my house, yeah? I think we have after party plans. 

She watched as Colson pulled his phone out, an eyebrow quirked as he read the text. Eyes glancing up, she couldn’t help but crack a smile at the smirk on his lips.

Colson: I think I can remember. Give me like half an hour. 

Eden: Perfect:

She slid her phone into her pocket and slid off the booth seat, making her way over to where Rook was chatting with a group of people. “I hate to butt in but I’m headed out and wanted to tell you how killer that was!” Eden wrapped her arms around Rook and hugged him tightly, Rook’s arms slipping around her in return. She stayed that way for a moment, leaning in close so only he could hear her. “Thank you for inviting me, it was really nice to be around you again. I’ve missed this.” She dropped her arms and Rook gave her a wide grin, grabbing her hand and squeezing it before he let it go.

“That wolf whistle was impressive, made me blush a little there Harrington.” He chuckled and she brushed her shoulders off with a grin of her own. “It was nice having you out in the crowd again.” She hugged him once more before she waved goodbye to the rest of the guys though they were rather occupied. Slipping out of the VIP section and into the bar, she weaved her way out to the valet, happy to be out in the cool Los Angeles evening. 

By the time she made it home, she was more than ready for Colson to be there, but instead she used the time to slip off her boots, dropping them by the door as she made her way to the kitchen to fix herself a drink. Pulling the vodka down from her liquor cabinet, she set it on island and turned to the fridge, opening the door and pulling out some pineapple juice and a bottle of cranberry juice, setting them down next to the vodka as she grabbed a glass from the cabinet and filled it with ice. 

Mixing everything together, she stirred it and put everything back before taking a drink, enjoying the burn of the alcohol as it slipped down her throat. She downed it, and let herself wander back into the living room, flinging herself onto the couch, wrestling her phone from her pocket underneath her. Opening Instagram, she scrolled, double tapping as she went. Pausing on a picture of Colson, her heart started doing backflips. The caption read, I’ve been waiting so long for you to say yes, and the comments were flooded with speculation about why he was being so cryptic, but Eden was fully aware it was about her. He’d only posted the picture six hours ago. 

She resisted the urge to like it, and scrolled past losing herself in her feed. It wasn’t until she heard her front door open that she sat up and went to his page, phone held out so he could see as he rounded the corner. He paused, eyes focused until his usual smirk curled up the corner of his lips. “You didn’t think I wasn’t going to figure out a way to mention did you?” Eden rolled her eyes and swung her legs off the couch, crossing the floor and launching herself at him, Colson wrapping her legs around his waist easily. 

“Shut up and kiss me.” He obliged and shifted so his hands were under her legs, holding her steady as his mouth collided with hers. Everything they hadn’t been able to say in the bar poured itself into the kiss and Eden wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. Walking with her still in his arms, he moved towards the stairs and started the climb to her room not even pausing to adjust her. 

By the time they made it to her door, Eden was ready for there to be far less clothes between them. He nudged her door open with his foot and spun her around so her back was against the wall. “Put your hands up over your head.” She thought about teasing him but she was far past pretending this wasn’t exactly what she wanted. Doing as he said, she put her arms up as he used one hand to peel her shirt off and over, tossing it somewhere in the dark corners of her room. He thumbed the dark marks on her neck and chuckled. “You think these are bad? Just wait until I get done with you.” 

He ran his tongue along her lips and she opened her mouth, letting him slip it inside. She swirled her tongue around it, making sure to never take her eyes away from him as she did. It was only a few moments before he turned away from the wall and towards her bed, letting her fall onto the bed, his body above hers. She unclenched her legs from around his waist and ran a hand up his arm and around to his back, letting her nails drag down his skin. “Did I tell you to move your arms? Put them back up.” 

Eden smirked slightly and raised her arms again, arching her back as she did. Colson ran the hand that wasn’t propping him up against her stomach before palming her through her bralette. “What do you say?” 

“Yes.” Eden was starting to lose focus as his hand massaged her chest and all she wanted to feel his touch. “Yes, what, Eden?” He paused his movements and Eden whimpered at the lack, eyes finding his. “Yes, Daddy.” Colson leaned down and ran his lips against hers, reminiscent of their bathroom kiss and Eden found herself straining, wanting more. “That’s better. You were such a tease earlier, I don’t know if I should give in just yet. Maybe I should make you wait.” 

Eden brought her hips to his and pouted as she tried to keep the contact between them. “Please, I don’t think I can wait.” Colson’s hand drifted down between her legs and he gripped her thigh hard enough she knew she would have bruises there tomorrow. An involuntary gasp escaped her throat and Colson chuckled. “You like that Little Lady? I can still remember vividly just what you like.” His fingers traced outlines against her jeans as they inched closer and closer to her center, and she shuddered with every movement, trying hard to stay still. As his fingers ghosted over her through her jeans, she bit her lip, knowing full well she wouldn’t last much longer. 

“There are too many clothes on right now and I swear, if they don’t come off Colson Baker, I’m going to scream.” Eden pouted and glared at Colson as he leaned back, the lack of contact once again leaving her feeling cold. “Someone’s extra bossy tonight, but I’ll make you scream, that’s for damn sure.” He pulled his shirt off over his head and tossed it before letting his fingers trail across Eden’s stomach, laughing as she tensed at his touch. Unbuttoning her jeans, Eden arched upwards letting him pull them and her underwear off agonizingly slow. When he was done he dropped them beside the bed and slid down onto the floor in front of her wrapping his hands around her ankles and pulling her legs until they were balanced on the edge of the bed giving him full access to her. 

His hand found her stomach as he leaned forward, biting her inner thigh, eyes never leaving hers as she propped herself up to watch him. People could say what they wanted about him, but Colson certainly knew how to handle a woman. Eden knew it wasn’t going to take much to push her over the edge she was already teetering on and the moment she felt his tongue run across her lips she knew she was a goner. She gripped the bedspread, tightening her grip as she felt him slip a finger in, followed by a second, his tongue never stopping. She could feel her body starting to tense and her breath quicken and she watched him as his fingers and his tongue worked a steady rhythm on her center. 

He knew when she was about to fall off that cliff and he sped up, his fingers curling and uncurling as he went, his hand holding her down as she fell. Her body tensed completely and she let out a moan as Colson continued, lapping up her juices as she tried to get away, her body sensitive. He paused only for a second, “You’re not tapping out yet, the night is still early.” His tongue gave one more swipe and she shuddered at how good it felt, feeling almost sad when his fingers slipped out, leaving her feeling empty. Ignoring his words about leaving her hands above her head, she grabbed his hand with hers and pulled him back up onto the bed, fingers tangled in his hair as she kissed him hard, tasting herself on his lips. 

It was something about Colson she would never get tired of. He didn’t shy away from the intimacy, he surprisingly embraced it and she loved him all the more for it. She scooted herself further up onto the bed, laughing as he crawled after her, feeling like prey that had been caught in the predators trap, which to be fair wasn’t that far off. She maneuvered herself out of her bralette, leaving herself completely exposed to him as he peeled off his jeans and boxer briefs, discarding them off to the side with hers. He was right about one thing, she was feeling extra bossy tonight and when he hovered over her, she caught his lips with hers, tongue teasing for a moment before she whispered. “Lay on your back.” Colson raised an eyebrow but followed her instructions and she grinned as she straddled him, feeling how hard his dick was beneath her. 

She leaned down and kissed him again, rubbing herself against him, mentally telling herself to drag the moment out. Trailing kisses down his neck she paused long enough to give him a hickey in return for the ones he’d given her before continuing down, leaving kisses across his chest as she lightly scraped her nails along his tattoos. Her trail of kisses led her to his dick and she sat back on her knees, eyes watching his as she leaned forward, her hand wrapping around him as she felt him tense beneath her. Bringing her lips to the tip, she licked off the precum that had started to form before wrapping her lips around him completely, taking him as far as she could before she gagged. Colson might have known how to get her going, but Eden knew him just as well and she reveled in being able to get him off. 

She kept eye contact with him, letting him watch as his dick almost completely disappeared in her mouth, feeling him twitch as she knew he was close. Her hand moved with her mouth, feeling him beneath had her ready to have him inside her but she moved slowly and deliberate, enjoying the buildup as she heard Colson’s breath quicken and little moans escape his lips as he watched her. His hand tangled itself into her hair and tightened, causing her to pause as she readjusted to the feeling. She continued, her tongue swirling around as she heard him curse and tense up. “Fuck, Eden, your mouth feels so good. I’m gonna come.” At his words, Eden quickened her pace and felt the first stream hit her throat as she swallowed everything he gave her. 

When he was done, she leaned back onto her knees and wiped her lips with her thumb, eyes hooded. “Bring that mouth here baby girl.” He motioned for her to come to him and she obliged, happy to please him. He pressed a kiss to her lips and flipped her over onto her back, a squeal escaping her lips. Leaning over, he pulled her nightstand drawer open and grabbed a condom from the box he knew she kept there, ripping the package open with his teeth. With one hand he rolled it onto dick and with the other he pushed her legs apart, settling in between them as he hovered over her. “Do you want me to fuck your pretty little pussy?” 

Eden nodded her head, “I want you to fuck me. Please, Daddy?” At her words, Colson teased her entrance with the tip, pushing it past her lips and pulling it back out a few times before Eden let out a frustrated huff. He chuckled before pushing all the way in, and she sighed, the feeling of him inside her one she was glad to have back. He pulled out and slammed back into her, causing her to grasp the comforter once more, fingers tightening around it as he pounded into her, hands on her tight on her hips as she met his thrusts with her own. She could feel her body tensing and Colson could too, increasing his thrusts as she let out a scream, her body convulsing around him. He kept going and she tried to catch her breath as he pounded her hard, the grip on her hips tightening as he got closer. 

The thought of him getting off brought her to the brink again and as she could feel him pulse inside her, she orgasmed again, her body extra sensitive as he pulled out. He worked to dispose of the condom in her bedside trash as she tried to catch her breath, knowing she was going to hurt tomorrow. Colson laid down next to her, pulling her to him, their bodies both sticky. “Damn Eden, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say Mr Movie Star wasn’t doing right by you.” 

She rolled her eyes and slung a leg over his, pulling herself closer to him. “He’s no you, that’s for sure.” Colson snorted and they laid in silence for a while before Eden fell asleep, their bodies tangled up together.


	7. Potential Break Up Song

spring 2020

Eden awoke to the sunlight streaming through her bedroom windows, an arm wrapped around her as she blinked the sleep away and tilted her head to look up at the blonde who was sleeping peacefully. She really didn’t want to move because she was extremely comfortable tucked into his arms, but after last night she desperately needed a shower. Slipping out from under his arm so as not to wake him, she tiptoed into the bathroom, making her way to the shower before turning it on, letting the steam fill the room before she stepped in, she let the heat of the water sink into her skin as she relaxed. As much as she wanted to just hang out in the shower, she knew she had a day of dealing with things ahead of her, so she lathered her body wash onto her skin, the floral scent filling her nostrils. Letting the water wash the suds off, she washed her hair and face before stepping out the shower and grabbing her towel off the hook.

She towel dried her hair before wrapping the cloth around her body, moving to the sink to brush her teeth before wandering back into her bedroom. Colson was propped up against her headboard, his discarded jeans from the night before back on and a joint in his hands that she wasn’t sure where he pulled it from. “I didn’t mean to wake you. I tried to be quiet, you’re so cute when you actually sleep.” Eden snorted and climbed onto the bed, legs tucked underneath her as she pressed a kiss to his lips.

He returned the kiss with a chuckle and ran a hand through her hair, letting the damp strands fall through his fingers. “You didn’t wake me up, I got a text from Ashleigh. Apparently we’re leaving for tour a few days earlier than we expected. A second show got added in one of the cities since it sold out. I gotta get to the house and do a meeting with the guys to make sure everything is good to go. Though I’d much rather spend the day right here with you, looking delicious in that towel.” Colson’s hand dropped to her shoulder before dipping to the front of the towel, toying with the spot she’d tucked it into itself. 

Eden swatted his hand away with a giggle. “As much as I’d rather be spending the day with you, I have some stuff I gotta handle today. I need to go talk to Parker.”

Colson rolled his eyes, his hand moving from the towel to her arm, his fingers drawing lazy shapes into her skin. “Parker huh? You’ve got me in your bed and you wanna go talk to Mr. Movie Star? I see how it is.” His voice was light but Eden could hear the slight jealousy that seeped into his words. 

Her hand came up to rest on his cheek as she spoke, eyes never leaving his. “You know I have to break up with him and I won’t do that over a text. We’re too old to not do things in person. Whatever this is between us right now, I’m not going to string Parker along. He doesn’t deserve it.” She closed the distance between them once more and kissed him, deeper than before, trying to convey all of her emotions through her lips. 

Colson sighed as they broke apart and his fingers stilled on her skin. “I get that, I can’t help it if the last few months every time I saw you guys on social media, I wanted to punch him in the face for touching you.” Her stomach did a backflip and she clenched her thighs together at his words. She knew it shouldn’t be so attractive, but the thought of him getting angry over her and Parker made her weak. 

“Who’s the one in my bed right now? Who’s the one I’ve been in not one but two bathrooms with this weekend? It was never Parker, he was just someone who happened to be there when I needed someone. It felt… safe. But I never once felt about Parker, the way I feel about you. And don’t take that to heart just yet. We’ve got some stuff to work on before we can really see if this will work.” Eden moved off the bed and stood up, tightening the towel from where he’d loosened it. “I’m willing to put the work in if you are too, wild boy.”

He watched her, his lips curled up into his signature smirk at her words, head cocked slightly to the side. “Wild boy, huh? Guess someone really went deep in the discography after we broke up.” He slipped off the bed and stood in front of her, arms slipping around her waist. “I can’t promise you it’ll be easy with me, you know that. But for you, I’ll put in as much work as I can.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead before spinning her around, giving her ass a smack. “Now get dressed before we don’t make it out of this room.” 

Eden looked back at him with an eye roll, her lips split into a grin as she made her way into her closet, pulling things from the shelves before she emerged in a pair of ripped skinny jeans, a black crop top, a purple flannel and a pair of high top sneakers. “Happy now?” She did a twirl and rolled her eyes at him again as he eyed her up and down. 

“No, because you’re wearing clothes and that does me absolutely fuck all.” His hand tangled in her hair before gently tugging so she was looking up at him. His lips found hers, teeth grazing her bottom lip while his free hand cupped her ass, closing the distance between their bodies. Eden’s knees were threatening to give out, but she wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. She wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, but she finally broke the kiss, his hand letting her hair go as she caught her breath. “What time do you have to meet Ashleigh? I can make something for breakfast.”

He chuckled, “As much as I would love for you to feed me because I miss your bomb ass cooking, I gotta meet her in like an hour and I should shower and change before anyone questions where I was all night.” Eden couldn’t help the pout that formed at his words and Colson brought his thumb to her lips, brushing across them gently. She planted a kiss on his thumb before she turned to her vanity, realizing that her neck was on full display. “Fuck. I look like I got mauled. Shit.” She couldn’t help but smack him in the chest when he started to chuckle. “Don’t make me have to start a ‘below the shirt collar’ rule, mister.” 

“Mister? I like the sound of that. We may just need to test that out later.” He stepped into her closet and opened one of her drawers that he knew kept her festival outfits. Grabbing a black bandana, he tossed it to her with a grin. “That should help.” 

Eden knotted it around her throat, thankful that it did in fact cover the dark colored bruises. She leaned over to grab her phone, glancing at the notifications that had come in since she’d looked at it the night before. Her eyes paused on an instagram notification and her breath caught in her chest.

parkerdean: so these were your plans today?

She opened the notification and held up her phone for Colson to see, her nose scrunched as she pinched the bridge with her free hand. “This might not go down as easy as I was hoping.”

“Fuck him. He’s your boyfriend… soon to be ex boyfriend, he doesn’t need to approve all your plans.” Colson rolled his eyes and pushed her phone down gently. “Do what you gotta do. You know if you need me, all you gotta do is call. I’ll punch that mother fucker in the face and he won’t ever need to know it was because of you.”

She chuckled darkly at his words. “You know, I have a feeling if you punched Parker in the face, people would have a sneaking suspicion it had something to do with me.” She slid her phone into her back pocket and made her way towards the bedroom door, opening it and stepping out into the hallway. “I can handle Parker, it’s just going to mean I have to cover my ass. Come on, let’s get this day started.” And over with. 

When they were sure there was no paparazzi hanging outside of her house, Colson slipped out, planting a kiss on her lips before settling into his Aston Martin and pulling out of her driveway. Eden knew she should probably eat, but instead, she started a pot of coffee and pulled out her phone to text Parker while it brewed.

Eden: Hey, can I come by? 

Parker: Oh, now you want to talk to me? No plans with your ex boyfriend today?

Well, if she needed further confirmation this was going to suck on multiple levels, she was pretty sure that sealed it. 

Eden: It’s not like that, I was supporting a friend. Colson had nothing to do with it.

Parker: Ok. Yeah, come by the house.

Eden: I’ll see you in a bit.

Nothing was ever easy when it involved Colson. Eden had known that for almost a year now, but this weekend had shown her that maybe, just maybe, it was supposed to be them. The two of them against the world and Eden still wasn’t sure she was strong enough to handle every part of Colson’s life, she knew that if she didn’t try, she would always wonder.

The sound of the coffee pot beeping shook her from her inner thoughts and she grabbed a travel mug from the rack, pouring the liquid into it as the smell of coffee filled her nostrils. Opting to drink it black in hopes it would steel her nerves, she snapped the lid on and grabbed her wallet and keys off the side table as she made her way through the living room and out the front door, locking it behind her. 

While Eden and Colson both lived in the Hollywood Hills, Parker had put down roots in Malibu, his mansion overlooking the beach. It was such a gorgeous day that if it had been under different circumstances, Eden would have enjoyed the drive more, taking in the fresh air and palm trees, but today she sipped on her coffee and listened to her music, dreading the moment that was quickly approaching. 

Turning the car into the driveway, she punched in the numbers on the keypad as the gate slid open enough that she could fit her car through. Parking beside Parker’s massive Hummer, she killed the engine and stepped out, the door snapping shut behind her. She had a key to his place tucked into her pocket so she could return it to him before she left and she pulled it out and slipped it into the front door, letting herself in. She could hear the sounds of the tv drifting up from his living room so she shut the door gently and slipped the key back into her pocket as she made her way down the hallway and into the living room.

It was surprisingly empty, so she called out, loud enough that he could hear her no matter where he was. “Parker?”

“In the backyard.” His voice carried well and she followed the sound into the kitchen and out through the open glass doors. Parker was laid out on a pool side lounger, skin glistening and his eyes behind dark sunglasses. Eden hesitated for a moment before sitting on the lounger next to him, her feet tucked underneath the chair as she watched him sit up and push the glasses upwards to sit on the top of his head. His blue eyes, almost as piercing as Colson’s, found hers, an eyebrow quirked. “I half expected you to text me and tell me something came up. Seems to be the theme of the weekend.” 

Eden’s fingers twitched against her thighs at his words, her annoyance that he was acting like a jackass hard to conceal. “That’s not fair. I was fully at a party with you on Friday. Rook reached out to me a few days ago and wanted me to come see him play. We had no plans so you can’t be upset with me that I made some that didn’t involve you.” 

“Don’t play games Eden. You knew your big shot rapper ex would be there. I know he was there at the party Friday too. I’m not stupid.” Parker’s tone was laced with a venom Eden wasn’t used to and the longer he talked, the faster she wanted to be any place else. 

“I didn’t even see Colson at that party, how could I have known he was there? And how dare you? I can’t have friends that happen to be friends with Colson too? I didn’t talk to Colson the entire time I was with Rook. He even had some bottle blonde draped all over him and I was fine. I can’t keep running from my past, eventually I have to deal with it.” 

Parker had been there Eden well enough when she’d had her break down post break up and had helped put the pieces back together after she’d broken herself, but she couldn’t lead him on, especially because they had never been anything more than just casual. The way he was currently acting though? It was making what she was about to do feel a little easier. 

Parker opened his mouth to speak once more, but Eden held up her hand to stop him. “You’ve been so amazing the last few months, but I have to focus on me. You deserve someone who can give you so much more than I can and I’m sorry. This has nothing to do with exes and everything to do with me.”

For a moment, Eden thought things would be okay, that her and Parker wouldn’t have problems, but his eyes narrowed slightly and she knew she was wrong. “You’re actually breaking up with me? I put up with all of your bullshit and your drama and this is what I get? A poorly done breakup?” He scoffed and stood up, face screwed up in anger and his voice heavy. “Fuck you Eden. You were just someone I was killing time with anyway.” 

She could feel the tears welling up in the corners of her eyes, but she stood her ground and never let her eyes leave his, unfolding herself from her seated position as she spoke. “I thought we could be adult about this, but I guess I was wrong.” She pulled the key out of her pocket and set it down on the lounger before her eyes found his once more. “I really do hope you find a girl who can give you everything I couldn’t. Someone who doesn’t come with bullshit and drama and that you don’t feel the need to ‘just kill time with’.” Eden turned on her heels and made moves towards the house, pausing to look back, “I really am sorry Parker, for everything.”

Parker crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her words. “Yeah, okay. Go run back to Colson, I know he’s behind this. But don’t you dare think you can run back to me when he screws you over again. I’m not your rebound and I think it’s time for you to go.”

He sat back down and pulled his sunglasses from his head, placing them back over his eyes, turning away from Eden resolutely as she stood for a moment, stunned at his words. She blinked away the tears that threatened to fall, not from sadness but from anger. Anger that he could react that way and anger that she knew he was right. It only took her a few minutes to make her way through his house and out the front door, letting the silence of her car surround her as she worked to steady her breathing before cranking the car.   
She pulled her phone from her pocket and checked the time. 1pm was late enough to get a drink right? Unlocking the screen, she thumbed through her contacts and found the one person she knew she could talk to without any judgement.

Eden: Are you free right now? I desperately need a drink and to completely ignore the fact that I just broke up with my boyfriend for a bit.

Ash: Wanna meet up at that bar we went to last month in Koreatown? It should be pretty chill.

Eden: You’re an absolute angel. I’m leaving Malibu now.

Ash: I’ll see you in a bit.

Eden cranked her car and slid her phone into the mount, blaring Olivia O’Brien as loud as she could, pulling out of Parker’s driveway and back out onto the streets of the city. The traffic was surprisingly light and her gps had informed her she had 15 minutes left of her 45 minute drive when her screen lit up. Colson (black heart). Hitting the answer button she sighed. “It’s a good thing you’re so fucking attractive, you know that right?”

She could hear Colson’s chuckled from the other end of the line as he shuffled the phone a bit. “It not go well with Mr. Movie Star then?”

Eden rolled her eyes and huffed noisily. “You could say that. Considering ‘he put up with my bullshit’ and ‘was just killing time with me’. He also convinced you’re the reason we broke up, so there’s that. 

Colson was silent for a beat and Eden was starting to wonder if she’d lost him when he spoke. “I will beat his ass. Find out if doing his own stunts translates to taking a right hook to the fucking jaw.” 

Eden cracked the first genuine smile she’d had since Colson left her house and she giggled slightly. “It’s fine, it’s done and I don’t want to think about Parker anymore. Ash and I are going to get drinks since I know she’s a judgement free zone. Speaking of Ash’s, how’d the meeting go with Ashleigh and the guys?”

“It was good. We’re leaving in like a month and a half, but it’s just a state side leg for now, so we’ll be on the tour bus for the whole time.”

She grinned, knowing how crazy their tour bus could get. She’d been to a few shows when they had first started dating and they were always an interesting experience. “Maybe I can come see a show under the pretense of seeing Rook and the guys again. Think we can manage it?”

She could practically hear his mind running as she pulled into a parking spot in the back of the bar. “I think we can manage that. You’re definitely gonna have that ass at one of my shows, bet.” 

“Listen, I’m at the bar so I gotta go, but I’ll talk to you later?” Eden pulled a ball cap from her backseat and settled it on her head, a poor attempt at being somewhat inconspicuous. 

“You know it baby girl. Text me when you’re home.” The line went dead and she rolled her eyes as she killed the engine and stepped out, walking towards the bar with her head down. When she entered, she scanned the room and spotted her friend in a dark corner booth, dark brown hair in messy buns on top of her head. Grinning she slid into the booth across from her. “Today has already been a shit show and it’s not even half over.”

Ashley snorted and balanced her chin on her upturned palm, her elbow resting on the edge of the table. It was because of Colson that Eden knew Ashley because they’d met backstage at a show. To everyone else she was Halsey, but to Eden she was Ash. They’d spent many a nights gabbing over the shit Colson would pull, Ashley understanding completely because they’d dated before he and Eden had gotten together and despite the drama surrounding them and Ashley’s ex Gerald, they had remained friends. 

“You can unload whatever you need too, but can I just say, Parker has always been a tool?” The women both glanced up at the waiter as he stopped by their booth and ordered their drinks before he wandered off. 

“He was such a jackass today. I’ve never seen him act like that. And he’s convinced I broke up with him because of Col.” Eden sighed and adjusted herself so her feet were in the booth seat. 

Ashley raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips slightly. “Is he? I saw you went to Rook’s show last night.”

Eden really didn’t want to lie to her, but she knew if she and Colson were going to figure out what they were doing, it had to be without everyone else’s opinions in the mix. “I didn’t talk to him last night. I went purely for Rook. He asked me to go and I wasn’t going to tell him no. I can’t avoid him forever though. At some point he and I are going to have to deal with how things went down and a big part of how it went down is because of me. I’m the one who broke things off in the first place.”

The server dropped their drinks off and moved to another table that had been seated and Eden was thankful for the alcohol as it burned her throat. Ashley used the straw in her glass to swirl the liquid around as she took in Eden’s words. “You’re right. You guys do need to address things and I know he wants to talk to you. He’s said as much to me when he’s had too much to drink and rambles. I didn’t want to mention it to you because I didn’t think you were in the space to hear it, but for months you’ve been the only girl he’s talked about.”  
Eden’s breath caught in her throat and she took another sip of her drink to cover herself. That had honestly been the last thing she’d expected Ashley to say but it made her heart feel like it was going to beat out of her chest. She’d walked out on him and she had expected him to fill the void with other women, booze and drugs, but if he’d talked about her with Ashley, who else had he talked to? 

“I just don’t know if I can put myself through all of that again. I’m not a partier, that’s never been my thing and the drug use just got to be too much for me to handle. I know it’s a part of Colson and asking him to change would be like asking to change who he is as a person and I love who he is, but I know I miss him. I miss being able to talk to him and sitting on his bed while he writes. Breaking up with Parker sucked, outside of today he’d been nothing but good to me, but I can’t date someone when I’m not giving them my all. It’s not fair to him.”

Eden chewed on the inside of her lip absentmindedly and sighed as Ashley reached across the table and laid her hand on top of Eden’s, squeezing slightly. “Whatever you decide to do, I’m here. You know that, but I think you’re right. I think coming to terms with what happened between the two of you will be so good for both of you and I think you’re finally at a point where you can do that without spiraling.”

Eden snorted quietly and gave Ash a loose smile. “Thank you for being you. I truly don’t think I would have made it through the last few months without you and Larissa.” 

Ashley chuckled and pulled her hand back to her side of the booth before downing her drink and signaling for another. “If there’s one thing Colson did right, it was introducing us, I’ll give him that.”

The two dark haired women sat there for the next few hours, chatting and catching up as night fell around them.


	8. Hella Feelings for You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors Note: I'm now officially caught up on chapters that I needed to post! The next few chapters will all be flashbacks to round out the start (and end) of the relationship the first go round and then it's all present day stuff which I'm super excited to get to. Blissfully I am not adding in corona virus related things because I'm over it and ready for it to be out of our hair, so there won't be any quarantining in this story! Please leave comments so I know if you guys are enjoying this story! Also there's some smut because after the last chapter I couldn't help it, so SMUT WARNING.

Summer 2019

Eden’s head was pounding as the memories of last night replayed through her head. She’d stupidly kissed Colson and someone had ended up with a picture of them. The TMZ tweet she’d been tagged in had just been icing on the cake and she knew that inevitably someone was going to ask her about it today. She was thankful for the afternoon call time because it had given her time to gather herself before she got to set. The ladies in the wardrobe trailer had been so nice when she strolled in looking like death warmed over and they’d sent her off to her trailer looking as fresh as a daisy and for that she was fully grateful.

She was sprawled out on her couch, feet dangling off the edge of the arm and an elbow thrown across her eyes when she heard the knock on her trailer door. She waited a moment to see if whoever it was would announce who they were but when she realized they weren’t talking she sighed. “Come in!”

The door opened and she peaked out from under her arm as Colson entered the tiny living space. She sighed again and closed her eyes as he leaned against her vanity counter. “Told you you were going to feel it today. But you did hold your own, I’ll give you that.” He chuckled and she shot him the finger without looking at him.

“I feel like death and no amount of ibuprofen has helped me today. Not to mention, we made the front page of TMZ AND InTouch.” She moved her arm and squinted as the light hit her eyes, shifting her head so she could see him without moving the rest of her body. “I kissed you… I’m sorry, that was probably overstepping and I don’t want things to be weird.” Eden was not about to admit that she remembered just how much she’d enjoyed feeling his body against hers and her face flushed slightly at the memory.

Colson leaned forward and balanced his weight against his hands as he watched Eden for a moment, his eyes sparkling as he tried to hide the smile that threatened to split his lips. “Why are you apologizing? If I remember correctly I was a willing participant. You had all of my attention last night Little Lady.”

She rolled her eyes and regretted it almost immediately as she winced at the pain that ran through her head. “I just… I have this rule that I don’t date co stars anymore. It always gets messy and then the tabloids start with their bullshit and it’s exhausting.” Her head was screaming at her to just let it go, let him go, but there was something about him that made her want to keep him as close to her as possible and given they’d only know each other for twenty four hours, the feeling terrified her.

He chuckled and leaned back, balancing his feet on the edge of the couch cushion. Eden took in his outfit and appreciated the costume department for putting him in ripped skinny jeans and a flowy button up, shaking her head to clear the thoughts that were threatening to consume her. “Who said anything about dating? I can think of plenty of things that can happen that don’t involve dating… a few less articles of clothing maybe, but.” His lips curled up into a smirk as his words trailed off and he cocked his head, watching Eden, his eyes traveling down her stretched out body, taking in her bare legs.

Her eyebrows quirked at his words and she could feel the surprise registered on her face. Had he really just said that? Almost involuntarily she clenched her thighs together, hoping he hadn’t noticed that she was flushed once again. “Pause. Did you really just hit on me and reject me in the same train of thought? I don’t know if I should be flattered or offended.” Shifting so she was propped up on her elbow, she shook her head, ignoring the pounding it brought with it.

Colson threw his hands up in mock surrender before crossing them over his chest. “We’re going to spend a hell of a lot of time together over the next three months, can I help it if I want to know just what that mouth is capable of doing?” He was testing her and she knew she shouldn’t budge, especially because they would be spending so much time together and she knew she should keep it as professional as she could, but she could feel herself teetering on the edge of a cliff and wasn’t sure she could keep herself from jumping.

“Does that line actually work for you? Is that how you get all the girls to go back to your tour bus or are you just used to them throwing themselves at you?” She wasn’t going to let him win easily. If she was going down, she was going to make him work for it because she was fully aware that he could break her heart without even thinking about it. Before he could answer, a knock interrupted them and the loud voice of one of their production assistants traveled through the thin walls. “Eden, you’re needed on set please.”

Saved by the bell so to speak. Adjusting her dress, she stood up and stared at Colson’s legs until he chuckled and moved them so she could walk past. “I’ll see you on set.” She flashed him a winning smile and stepped out of the door and nearly into the waiting PA who was going to walk with her. “You and Colson getting along then?” Eden snorted and let the PA lead her towards the set. “You could say that.”

She’d been on set for almost an hour and a half and they’d finally gotten the lights set up how they needed before they could actually start shooting, so Eden and Mona lounged near craft services, eyeing their options. Mona snagged a granola bar and proceeded to unwrap it as she spoke, blonde hair curled to perfection and draped casually over one of her shoulders. “So you and Colson, huh? Seems like you had a productive night last night.” It was surprising that it was Mona who was the first person that brought up her night with Colson, but she’d expected it to happen at some point.

Eden felt that flush she was beginning to be very familiar with as it warmed her cheeks, but thankfully the dim lighting over the table kept it from being noticeable. “It was nothing. I just had a little too much to drink and he happened to be there. There’s nothing actually going on between us.” Mona looked less than convinced, but she gave Eden a shrug and took a bite out of the granola bar with a slight grin. “Look, you do you, he’s cute. So long as you both have your shit together and you don’t fuck up this movie? I don’t care what you do.” She saluted Eden with the half eaten granola bar and wandered off to talk to the assistant director leaving Eden a little stunned and very confused.

She didn’t have much time to dwell before she and Mona were both called to start their scene. The set they were using was made to look like a diner and the two actresses were seated in a booth and chatting away about life and all its weirdness. Eden’s character LeeAnn, or Lee as everyone called her, was a small town waitress and Mona’s character Janie was her best friend since childhood. The two women were both in their early 20s and LeeAnn was set on getting out of their hometown and seeing the world, so when Colson’s character Logan comes into her life, she’s left wondering if she should stay or continue trying to leave.

Eden picked at the fries on the plate in front of her and sighed as she spoke. “I don’t know Janie. I just feel like if I stay, I’ll regret it. It’s like no matter what I do, someone ends up hurt.” Mona sipped her drink and nodded along, tapping her fingers on the edge of the table. “Have you talked to Logan at all? Do you even know if he wants to stay here? What if he wants to go too?” Before Eden could say her next line, the director called cut and had them holding, so Eden found her eyes wandering, catching sight of Colson waiting in video village until his next scene was up. He caught her looking and winked before turning back to watch the monitors.

Mona’s eyes followed Eden’s and she smirked. “Right. There’s nothing going on. You have me totally convinced.” Eden was glad she had the next few days off because she did not want to have to spend time convincing people there was nothing going on between the two of them, because there wasn’t… It had just been one kiss. One very heated kiss. She shook her head trying to clear her thoughts wondering what she was going to have to do to get him out of her head.

She and Mona sat on set for the next few hours starting and stopping as the director felt necessary, thankful they were only shooting like 7 pages today. Half of the pages were just her and Mona but the very end of the scene had Colson’s character coming into the diner to steal Eden away for some random adventure. As they began to wrap up, Eden was dismissed before Colson who had a few extra shots that needed to be done so she made her way back to her trailer so she could change. As she finished pulling her jeans up over her waist, she slipped her feet into her vans and gathered her hair up into a high ponytail before slipping her arms through her strategically holey band tee she’d spent far too much money on.

She grabbed her phone and her bag, slipping the straps over her shoulders as she glanced at her phone. A thought crossed her mind and before she could regret it, she’d bounced out of her trailer and weaved her way through the line of other trailers, eyes searching for a name in particular. Eden was aware she probably shouldn’t just go into his trailer, but she found herself pulling the door open, her nostrils flaring slightly at the smell of weed that seemed to permeate the small space. Rolling her eyes, she stepped into Colson’s trailer and closed the door behind her before curling up on his couch, feet tucked up underneath her as she waited for the source of her current issues to arrive.

She’d been in his trailer for almost an hour when she heard the door swing open, her head popping up from where she’d been scrolling through Twitter absentmindedly. Her lips split into a grin as he realized he wasn’t alone, coming to a stop in the doorway. “And to what do I owe the pleasure of finding you on my couch? Shouldn’t you be at home recuperating from last night?” He stepped all the way in and let the door snap shut behind him as she lifted her hips to slip her phone into her back pocket.

“I’ll have you know I’m feeling much better and your concern for my well being isn’t needed, thank you very much.” Eden leaned forward and propped an elbow on her knee before resting her chin in her upturned palm. “Besides, I figured since it’s always you stopping by my trailer, I might as well drop by for a visit of my own… for no particular reason.”

Colson watched her, a look of intrigue on his features, his silence filling the room before he finally spoke after what seemed like ages to Eden. “For no particular reason, right. Well if there isn’t a reason, then you won’t mind me changing so at least one of us can head home?” She shook her head and he took that as a yes, slipping his mostly unbuttoned shirt over his head, her eyes taking in his tattoos as she tried to not make it obvious she was looking. He smirked, pulling a loose fitting tank top over his head before shimmying out of the jeans costuming had put him in and slipping on his own slightly looser ripped skinnies.

He leaned over to grab his converse before slipping onto the couch next to her, putting his shoes on quickly, lacing them up as he went. She adjusted so her legs weren’t quite so close to him and she couldn’t help but notice the side eye he gave her. She tripped over her thoughts before finally opening her mouth, the words tumbling out in a quick heap. “You know, you’re going home and you’re right, I should be home, so I’m just going to go. I’ll see you Monday.” She moved to uncurl her legs from the couch to go, but a hand on her thigh stopped her.

Eden could feel the warmth of his hand through her jeans and she cursed inwardly as her breath hitched involuntarily in her throat. “How about you come back to my house? The guys are having a party and I can school you in beer pong. You’ve got the whole weekend to recover before Monday.” He did have a point and despite every logical part of her telling her to just say no, her body won out.

“Sure. A party sounds fun. I can meet you there?” Her head was spinning and she knew driving her car meant she could leave when she wanted. His hand twitched slightly on her thigh and her eyes found his. “You could drive, or you can ride with me and I can bring you back to your car tomorrow? That way you don’t have to worry about driving if you drink too much.” He was essentially asking her to stay the night and her heart did backflips at the thought of it. She should drive her own car, she knew that, but she wanted nothing more than to have him take her home as much trouble as that meant for her.

“I… yeah. You can drive. I’m terrible with directions anyway and would probably get lost.” She gave him a slight smile and wondered, for what had to have been the thousandth time, just what she was getting herself into. He pulled his hand away from her thigh and the immediate flood of cold left her feeling a little bit sad, but she stifled a giggle as he held his hand out to help her up.

“Fuck yes. That’s what I like to hear. Well come on then Little Lady, there’s a bottle of Hennessy calling my name.” And with that, he led them out of the trailer and into the parking lot, weaving through cars until they reached his Range Rover. She heard the locks undo as he pushed the button and she pulled the door open and climbed into the passenger seat setting her bag down between her feet. Buckling her seat belt, she turned to him as he slid onto the driver's seat and cranked the car, the dulcet sounds of Tom DeLonge filling the vehicle as Blink-182 spilled out of the speakers.

The drive to his house was uneventful as they both sang along to the songs on his playlist, but at some point, Colson’s hand found her thigh and instead of moving it, she left it, knowing she was about to dive headfirst off the cliff. Once they pulled into his driveway, he killed the engine and gave her thigh a squeeze. “You ready to get fully murdered in pong?” She let her fingers trail up and down his hand for a moment, making sure he was watching her as she grinned. “Remember what I said last night? I can hold my own, so don’t be so sure you’ll win.” Eden winked and slipped off the seat, her feet hitting the concrete with a soft thud as she swung her bag up onto her shoulder.

Colson sat there for a moment longer, his eyes crinkled slightly and an eyebrow raised. “Are you going to just sit there or are we actually going to go inside?” He chuckled and joined her as they made their way to the front door, the sounds of music already greeting them before they’d stepped inside. After the door was shut behind them he slipped her bag off her shoulder and leaned in so she could hear him, “Lemme take this upstairs so you’re not lugging it around all night.” She nodded at him and watched him traipse up the stairs making a mental note of where his bedroom was as he opened the door and stepped inside.

She decided it was high time for a drink so she wandered through the house and the people scattered around. There weren’t that many people, but there were definitely at least twenty people in different places throughout as she followed what she hoped was the trail that led to the kitchen. Spotting the guys she met last night, she waved sheepishly. The shorter one that she vaguely remembered as Rook smiled back. “Eden right? You and your blonde friend were at the club last night. Welcome to our humble abode. What’s your poison?” He gestured to the island in front of him that was littered with alcohol bottles of every variety. “Whiskey and coke?” He nodded and grabbed her a red solo cup, pouring the liquid. She was about to speak again when Colson came up behind her.

“Eden here is about to get schooled in beer pong. She needs a partner. Slim and I against Eden and whoever wants in.” Rook passed her the cup and snorted. “I’m in. Can’t leave her to fend for herself against you two assholes.” Eden gave him an appreciative smile and took a drink, coughing slightly at the whiskey to coke ratio. It was probably a good thing she hadn’t driven herself. Colson grabbed a bottle of Hennessy off the island and leaned forward as some guy covered in tattoos with a mop of blonde hair that she didn’t recognize lit the joint hanging from Colson’s mouth. “To the beer pong table!”

Eden couldn’t help but roll her eyes as she followed Colson into another room where there were already two teams playing a round. A blonde girl was playing with the guy Eden remembered was named Baze and she smiled as the blonde cheered as she sunk a ball. Turning to Eden slightly, she gave a friendly wave and Colson leaned over. “My assistant Olivia. She’s a pretty steady fixture in the house. Pretty sure I wouldn’t get anything done if she didn’t keep me straight.” Eden smiled brightly and settled her back against the wall, Colson standing much closer than he needed to, their arms brushing slightly.

She took another drink from her cup and glanced up as he offered her a hit off the joint. When in Rome, right? Taking the joint from him, she placed it between her lips and inhaled, letting the smoke settle in her lungs before letting the rest exhale out of her mouth. She took one more hit before she passed it back to him, eyes sparkling. Colson’s arm that hung between them shifted slightly and she could feel the light touch as his fingers grazed her thigh over and over and she had to keep her knees from buckling.

Thankfully the game that was going finished rather quickly and Eden and Rook took one side of the table while Slim and Colson took the other. They set their cups back up and filled them with beer from a cooler next to the table all the while sipping on the drinks in their own hands. Eden had neglected to mention that she’d been playing beer pong since she was sixteen and her hand eye coordination was surprisingly good for a girl who’d never actually played sports before. Colson and Slim went first, Colson making a ball but Slim’s bouncing off the table. She pulled the ball from the cup and downed the alcohol before dunking it in the water cup.

She leaned in close to Rook and smiled, “How often does he get beat?” Rook raised an eyebrow and chuckled. “Not as often as he fucking should.” Eden raised an eyebrow and aimed, sinking her ball into the middle cup with a grin. “Maybe I should mention, I’m really, really good at beer pong.” Rook did what could only be described as a happy dance as he shot their opponents the finger. “This is what you get, you cocky son of a bitch. If this goes how I think it will, Eden will forever be my pong partner and you guys can kiss my ass.”

Slim just smiled and took a swig from the bottle of Jack in his hand and Colson took another hit off the joint. “Rook, she sank one ball. Don’t go falling in love just yet, the night is still young.” And so the back and forth went, both teams holding their own until they were down to one cup apiece. Eden was starting to feel a buzz kicking in from the alcohol and weed, but she was determined to wipe the smug look off of Colson’s face so she aimed and cheered as the ball sank into the cup. “Alright Rook, it's up to you. You got this.” Eden downed the rest of her drink and set the cup down as she played cheerleader for Rook as he got ready to throw.

Colson rolled his eyes and took another swig from the bottle in his hand. “Just shoot the ball already Rookie.” Rook laughed and let the ball go, watching as it hit the back of the cup and slid in. Eden cheered once more and wrapped Rook in a hug before turning back to Slim and Colson. “Alright boys, it’s redemption time. Don’t fuck it up.” Making eye contact with Colson, she winked and grabbed a beer from the cooler, popping the top on the edge of the table. He took his shot and the ball bounced off the edge of the table and into Rook’s waiting hands.

Eden and Rook high five'd and Slim threw up his hands in defeat, a grin on his face as he wandered off to find something else to do. She turned to look at the man across the table whose face was a strange mix of proud and annoyed. “I’m sorry Colson. What was that you said when we got here? That I was going to get murdered at beer pong? Am I remembering that right?” She couldn’t help but gloat a little, especially when she hadn’t bounced back from last night as easily as she thought she would.

“Alright, alright. Rook’s going to be absolutely awful for the foreseeable future. I don’t need it from you too.” He made his way around to their side of the table and Eden wrapped her fingers around his forearm, squeezing it lightly to show she was only teasing. What she didn’t catch was the look Rook sent Colson from behind her turned back, eyes questioning. Instead of acknowledging him, Colson gestured for Eden to follow him outside. She found herself staring at his pool, almost wishing she could go for a swim right now. Instead she let him lead her to two loungers that were close to each other, he sank down into one and Eden followed, propping her feet up on his lounger as she watched him.

Without much thought, Colson pulled her legs until they were slung over his thighs, his fingers splayed across her shins as he drank from his bottle. And there it was. With that one small movement, she was falling off the cliff and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She’d known him for all of two days and already she was falling for him. She knew she was going to get her heartbroken but in this moment, she didn’t have a single fuck to give.

Eden leaned forward and brushed a few pieces of hair away from his face that had fallen forward. She couldn’t help the cheeky grin that split her lips as she spoke, “See what happens when you underestimate me? I’ve got lots of skills.” His fingers trailed lazy designs over the fabric that covered her thighs and he chuckled. “I’ll bet you do.” Before she could think about it too much, she leaned forward and slid a hand around to cup the side of his face as she looked at him, waiting just a fraction of a second before she placed her lips against his. The kiss was gentle at first, as if they were trying to test the waters, but it didn’t take long before Colson’s tongue was parting her lips, eager to find entrance.

He deepened the kiss, tangling his fingers into her ponytail before tugging it hard enough that a low gasp escaped her throat and he chuckled, his chest vibrating. The music from inside the house wafted out through the open door and they sat in the dark for what felt like ages, tangled up in each other’s arms as they explored each other as best they could, fingers brushing against parts that had them both shivering in the warm summer night. Colson broke the kiss and slid out from under Eden’s legs before helping her up, nipping the end of her nose causing her to giggle.

She let him lead her through the house, their fingers intertwined as they made their way up the stairs, everyone else in the house too drunk or too stoned to acknowledge them as they disappeared into Colson’s room, though it was probably a frequent occurrence anyway. She sank down onto his bed and watched him as he set his bottle down on the bedside table before going into the bathroom. Eden reached over and grabbed the bottle, taking a swig just as he walked back out, his shirt in his hand before he let it drop to the floor. She held the bottle out to him and he took it, instead pressing his lips to hers to taste the Hennessy on her lips, before pulling away and taking one last drink before he set the bottle down and reached for the hem of her shirt.

She held her arms up over her head as he pulled her shirt over her body before dropping it onto the floor next to his, his fingers dancing lightly over the tops of her breasts. Her breath hitched in her throat and she knew there was no going back from this but instead of stopping, she reached behind her and unclasped her bra, pulling it over her arms and tossing it to the floor, leaving the top half of her body fully exposed to him. Sliding back on the bed, she laid against his pillows and motioned him over with her fingers, giggling as he sank one knee on the bed before he moved to slide his body up hers, his lips kissing bare skin just above her jeans before trailing upwards, across her stomach before coming to stop at her neck.

His eyes, darkened from their normal shade of bright blue, found hers and she shuddered slightly as his hand trailed up her stomach following the same path his lips had made, fingers dancing gracefully over her skin before they tweaked her nipple, a low moan escaping her lips. The sound caused Colson to close the short distance between their faces, capturing her lips with his in a kiss that was filled with need. Eden’s fingers tangled into his hair as she bucked her hips up to meet his, wanting to be as close to him as possible, all caution thrown to the wind.

Untangling one of her hands from his hair, she let it trail down his chest, dragging her nails gently until she reached the front of his jeans, palming him through the material as she felt him harden beneath her touch. He let out a quiet growl and bucked into her hand and she smiled as her fingers found the button and worked it until it popped open. “I need you out of those jeans.” He let out a breathy snort and rolled away from her, standing up to free himself from his jeans, slipping the zipper down before sliding the jeans and his boxer briefs off his legs and onto the floor. Stepping out of them, he climbed back onto the bed, kneeling between her legs as he worked to free her from her own cumbersome clothes.

When her legs were blissfully free, she leaned forward onto her elbows, watching as he sat between her thighs, fingers trailing up her legs before he reversed course and used his arms to wrap around her knees so he could sling her legs up around his shoulders, her back hitting the bed as she let out a shriek. His movement had put her in the perfect position for his mouth to find her center and she gasped as his tongue ran up before lingering over her clit. His mouth firmly over her sex, her fingers grasped the comforter as he went to work, one of his hands covering her before she felt one and then two fingers inside her, curling and pumping in tandem while his tongue worked her clit.

Her breath quickened and she couldn’t help it as her thighs clenched involuntarily, her body close to coming undone. Instead of slowing down, Colson continued, changing the pressure ever so slightly until Eden was coming apart in his arms, her body quivering as she rode out the waves of her orgasm. Trying to squirm away from his as she came down from her high, body sensitive to his touch, he pulled his fingers out but held her still for a moment longer, his tongue making one long line up her sex that had her shivering.

He lowered her hips back down to the bed as he spoke, eyes twinkling. “I thought you didn’t date your co-stars?” He leaned over her and pulled open his nightstand, snagging a condom before ripping it open with his teeth and sliding it over his dick. She was still trying to catch her breath, but she snorted and rolled her eyes. “If I remember correctly, someone else said there were things we could do with less clothes…” Colson settled himself between her thighs and rubbed her slit with the tip before positioning himself at her entrance. “You ready for round two because I’m not done with you just yet.” Before she could answer, he slipped inside and she let out a moan as she adjusted to his size. He pulled out slightly before pushing back into her completely, settling at her core.

Eden wrapped her legs around his waist to pull him impossibly deeper and used her hands to pull his face to hers, lips crashing together as he thrusted in and out, setting a pace that was almost too much but somehow still not enough. With each thrust she could feel her body heating up again, her second orgasm building. She raked a hand up his stomach and too his collar bone, fingernails dragging as her head fell back against the pillow. His mouth moved against her neck and she knew she was going to be covered in hickies tomorrow, but as his teeth sank into her shoulder and his body tensed, the hickies became the last thing she cared about it.

His pace increased and she knew he was close and as she wrapped her free hand around the back of his neck, she felt him tense inside her and she clenched her thighs as she came. He followed quickly, body collapsing on top of hers as their foreheads pressed together. She ran a thumb over his lips and he kissed it before slipping out of her and rolling over. “Damn, Little Lady. I would have convinced you to come home with me last night if I’d known I’d get fucked so thoroughly.” Eden rolled her eyes and smacked his chest lightly before leaning up onto her elbows. “For a girl who got turned down earlier, I guess I’ll take that as a compliment.”

She slid off the bed and made her way to his bathroom, catching sight of herself in the mirror as she moved to relieve herself. She looked like an absolute trainwreck and the hickies were already forming, not to mention the bite mark on her shoulder. Eden knew she was going to be feeling tonight hard tomorrow but she didn’t care. Right now, she was exactly where she wanted to be. She spotted one of his shirts on the floor and gave it a cursory sniff before declaring it decent enough to wear as she slipped it over her head and washed her hands. Running her fingers under her eyes to try and tidy up the raccoon eyes she’d developed, she realized it was as good as it was going to get.

She made her way back out into Colson’s room, taking in the sight of him illuminated by the bedside lamp, bed sheet slung dangerously low over his hips as he smoked a joint. He watched her and patted his lap as she crossed the floor and straddled his hips, plucking the joint from his hands. “The way you look in just my t-shirt has me wanting to do some very explicit things, god damn.” Eden raised an eyebrow and placed the joint between her lips, inhaling deeply and holding it for a moment before she let it out, coughing slightly. The way she was feeling, she was pretty sure he could do whatever he wanted and she would be like putty in his hands.

“We might just need to test that out at some point, don’t you think?” She grinded her hips against him, the bed sheet the only thing separating them and his hands settled on her hips, fingertips digging in ever so slightly, but strong enough she knew it would be another bruise to add her to collection. He hissed, letting the air out of his cheeks slowly as she found a rhythm, feeling him growing harder underneath her. Pulling the sheet down, she found herself with his cock in her hand as she wrapped her fingers around his length, her hand moving up and down as she moved to prop herself up on her elbows on either side of him as her tongue licked his tip. She glanced up through her dark eyelashes, catching his eyes as they watched her.

“Ah, fuck, Eden. Son of a bitch.” Colson swore as she took him in her mouth, moving her hand so she could take him as far in as she could, relaxing so as not to gag as he hit the back of her throat. She found a steady pace, mouth bobbing as her tongue swirled around him, the sounds he was making and his fingers tangled in her hair an indication that she was doing things just right. It didn’t take long before the expletives got louder and less coherent as he reached his peak and Eden felt the warm liquid hit her throat. Swallowing it all, she pulled her mouth free with a quiet pop and sat back, running a hand across her lips. Rolling off of him, she crawled up the bed so she could lay next to him, Colson pulling her to him, lips pressed together as he tasted himself on her tongue.

Eden relaxed into his chest as he caught his breath and she couldn’t help but feel pride in the fact that she’d been the one to catch his attention, at least for now. “You thought you were thoroughly fucked. The bite mark on my shoulder is definitely going to leave a bruise.” Colson laughed and ran his thumb across her collarbone, dragging the collar of the shirt with it so he could inspect the damage. “Shit, you’re right. But I can’t say I don’t like that I left a mark. Call it marking my territory.”

She raised an eyebrow and rested a hand on his chest, her cheeks flushed. “Marking your territory, huh? We’ll see.” She planted another kiss on his lips before she settled back into the crook of his arm, her eyelids drooping as she dozed off.


	9. It's Sort of Funny How, I Kinda Like It Now

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors Note: This chapter has absolutely given me hell so it's taken me far longer to write than I anticipated and it's a little on the shorter side and it's a little bit of a filler, but it's got some cute and some fluff and they just make me happy. Don't worry though, things will start getting bumpier very soon. 
> 
> I'm still also the worst at remembering to update here since I have more stuff for this story over on Wattpad so I apologize for being absolute trash. 
> 
> Once again though, thank you for taking the time to read this story and show it love. We're about halfway through this story as of now, but if I'm being honest, I keep adding chapters in my notes, so we'll see but you've got at least 8 more chapters before this is over, so I thank you for coming along on the journey and sticking with me! 
> 
> I seriously appreciate all the comments and kudos and bookmarks! It makes my day.

Summer 2019

Eden was already so far in over her head, but after nearly a month of spending time with Colson on set and off, she was without a doubt ass over tea kettle. Somehow they’d managed to keep a decently low profile and for the most part they were nothing but professional on set. Though they had hooked up in Eden’s trailer during their lunch break once and she was fairly certain everyone on the lot had put two and two together, though blissfully no one mentioned it to them. Other than Mona, who had called her out on it a few times but she’d mostly just smirked before walking away to bother someone else.

She wasn’t sure how she’d gone from knowing she shouldn’t date him to spending nearly every night at his house, but at this point she didn’t care. She’d gotten close with the rest of the guys as well and wanted nothing more than to just stay wrapped up in Colson’s arms as they sat in the studio while he wrote. Watching him in his element had become one of her favorite things and as she curled up on the couch listening to him lay down a new vocal, she couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face. 

Colson glanced at her and winked as he finished the vocal and the shaggy haired blonde she’d seen her first night there that she’d learned was called Mod gave him a big, enthusiastic thumbs up. “Seeing you staring like that might be my favorite thing, Little Lady. But you keep staring and we’re not going to make it out of the house tonight and we have plans.” He smirked and Mod chuckled before standing, “Lemme just get out of here before I see something I can’t unsee. I’m gonna find go find Baze.” 

Eden watched him exit before she turned her eyes back to Colson, an eyebrow quirked. “We have plans, huh? Why am I just now hearing about these plans?” She propped her elbow up on the edge of the couch and balanced her chin in her upturned palm as she felt her other eyebrow raise. 

“Because they’re a surprise? And you looking like a snack has me questioning things, but we’ve got reservations to stick to.” He turned around and fiddled with something on the soundboard and she leaned forward, confusion spreading across her features. “Wait, reservations, like… out in public?”

“Where else would we have reservations? You’re always front of the line with me, no waiting needed.” She could feel her cheeks heating up and he chuckled at the redness. Stepping away from the soundboard, he kneeled in front of her and brushed a piece of hair behind her ear. “Let me show you off for real. I’m tired of hiding this. Be my girl.” 

If Eden hadn’t already been sitting, she would have fallen over. Instead her elbow slipped off the edge of the couch and she jerked her head, taken aback at his words. She hadn’t expected that, not from him. She had just assumed this was just something to kill time for him, but being his girlfriend? Was she ready for that? It took her a split second before she answered, eyes finding his. 

“Be your girl? I… Yes! Yes, I would absolutely be okay with that.” Before she could speak again, his lips were pressed against hers and she felt herself melt into him, arms wrapping around his shoulders. Her mind was racing but no matter what came next, she was ready for it. She wouldn’t tell him, but she’d been all in on being his girl from day one and that terrified her. 

They broke apart, both slightly out of breath and Colson stood up, reaching a hand out to help her up as well. “I had planned to ask when we got to where we were going, but this seemed like as good a moment as any. You’re sexy when you blush like that.” He gave her hand a squeeze as she used him as leverage to stand before smacking her on the butt with the other. She squealed slightly and felt the warmth spread from her butt to her center. 

“I’ll meet you in a few, I need to finish this up.” She saluted him and rolled her eyes with a grin as she exited the studio and wandered her way into the living room, grabbing her cardigan off the couch and throwing on over the crop top and jeans she was wearing. Slipping her feet into her vans, she followed the sounds of pool balls rattling around and leaned against the doorframe as she watched Rook dominate at the pool table as usual. Rook glanced up and gave her a grin as his friend Taylor sighed. “Rook, you’re killing me. Seriously, you’re stupidly good at pool and it makes me feel bad.” Taylor turned to his phone and she adjusted to make sure his Instagram live couldn’t see her. 

Sure, Colson had just made it official with her, but she wasn’t sure she wanted Taylor’s instagram followers to be the first to know. While Taylor was talking, Rook set down the one pool stick they shared between whoever was playing and wandered over to her. She’d asked about the lack of any other pool sticks once and was met with “Sometimes things get too rowdy and then things get broken.” and that was the end of that. Rook held out his drink towards her and Eden took a swig before passing it back with a loose smile. 

“Mod said he got ran out of the studio, Kells was being all mushy and shit.” Rook chuckled and leaned against the wall as Eden blushed slightly. “He was but it’s cute. Just don’t tell him I said that.” Eden wasn’t sure what all Rook knew, but she was fairly certain he knew something was up from the way he was watching her. 

“So, you and Kells… how are things?” Rook raised an eyebrow and snorted as she stole his drink and took another swig. “We’re good. Really good.” She jumped slightly as an arm slipped around her waist and she looked up, rolling her eyes at her boyfriend. Which felt weird to say, even in her own thoughts. 

“Well, she didn’t turn me down, so I guess that means we are good.” Colson spoke and leaned his chin on the top of her head as Rook cheered quietly, aware Taylor was still live streaming. “Hell yeah, dude.” He leaned the neck of his beer bottle towards the two of them before making his way back to the pool table, calling Taylor out for taking so long to take his turn. Colson slipped his hand into Eden’s, leading her into the living room and away from the others. 

He grabbed her bag off the couch and held it out to her with a grin, “Alright Little Lady, you ready?” She took the bag and slung it over her shoulder, returning the smile. “I’m excited to see where you’re taking me.” They made their way out the door and into Colson’s Aston Martin, Eden settling into the passenger seat as she buckled her seat belt. As it had every time they’d ridden together, Colson’s hand found her thigh as he started the car and they listened to music, Eden controlling the playlist, bouncing from Blink to Hamilton to Olivia O’Brien, Colson just singing along as she went. 

They’d been in the car for maybe half an hour when he pulled into the valet at Chateau Marmont and Eden’s eyebrows went up when she noticed where they were. “Chateau Marmont, really? I don’t think my Vans qualify as proper Chateau Marmont attire.” He rolled his eyes, snorting as he stepped out of the car, his long legs carrying him around to her side as he opened her door and held his hand out for her. “You could wear a potato sack and still look like you belonged here, don’t even play.” 

She returned the eye roll and took his hand, letting him help her out. Camera flashes went off and she sighed, knowing they would make the gossip blogs before they’d finished dinner. “Guess it’s a good thing we’re official?” He grinned and leaned down, connecting his lips to hers as more flashes went off around them. The paparazzi would have a field day with these photos. He broke away and started to lead her towards the entrance, “They can take all the pictures they want, the whole world can know and I wouldn’t care. Not while I have you on my arm or your ass in my bed.” 

Eden was thankful for the low lighting as the color crept into her cheeks and she squeezed his hand as he led her through the chateau and into the restaurant, giving the hostess his name before she walked them to their table. Sliding into the booth across from him, she grinned. “I’ve only been here a few times, but it always makes me feel like I’m part of Old Hollywood. Like Marilyn Monroe or Bette Davis, but with less insanity.” 

Colson smiled and glanced at the menu, the waiter stopping at their table to take their drink orders. As the waiter left, Col’s eyes found Eden’s. “You could easily have out done Bette Davis. Hell, I’d take you over Marilyn Monroe anyday.” She couldn’t stop the eye roll, but over the last month, she’d learned so much about the guy sitting across from her and her heart was truly happy for the first time in so long. She knew he was damaged, but she just wanted to be there for him as long as he would let her and that terrified her. 

They chatted for almost two hours as they ate and enjoyed each other’s company, the seclusion of the booth and the no photos policy letting them forget for awhile that the peace and quiet and the getting to know each other stuff they’d enjoyed the last month would be over officially once they walked back out those doors and were at the mercy of the tabloids. As Colson paid the bill and the waiter left them once again, Eden slid out of the booth and held her hand out to him with a soft smile. “Alright, let’s go take on the world.” They made their way outside, heads down as the flashes started up again, questions coming at them from the crowd of paparazzi. “Are you guys dating?” “How’s the movie?” “Give us a smile!” As the valet pulled Colson’s car around, he opened the door for her before walking back to the driver’s side and tipping the valet as he slid on. Eden kept her head down, hair shielding her face as they passed the cameras, knowing it wouldn’t change the fact they had pictures now of them kissing somewhere not behind a nightclub.

As they made their way back to the Hollywood Hills, he turned off onto a different road and started the climb to a place Eden was super familiar with. It didn’t take long before he’d parked the car and they hiked the rest of the way up, the expanse of Los Angeles in front of them as they stood behind the Hollywood Sign. He flopped rather unceremoniously to the ground, pulling Eden down with him as she let out an ‘oof’ as she collided with his body. Colson laced his fingers through hers as they sat there in silence before Eden broke the quiet, musing out loud. “I used to come up here a lot after I got my drivers license. Seeing LA at night is one of my favorite things because it really does feel like a city where anything can happen. You know?”

He nodded, his thumb stroking hers as he spoke, “That’s partially why I come up here, but sometimes it just seems easier to think. It’s not as hustle and bustle as the city always is so it’s nice to just chill out for a while.” As the silence settled over them once more, she rested her head on his shoulder and scooted into his side, enjoying the peace and quiet. If someone had asked her a month ago if this was where she thought they’d be, she would have laughed in their face, but after spending almost every day with him, there wasn’t any other place Eden wanted to be except in his arms. 

She didn’t love him, not yet, but she knew she was in danger of falling for him completely and it terrified her. She could see herself being totally and irrevocably in love with him and love wasn’t something she did. Sure Eden dated, but never once had she truly been in love. With Colson, it felt different, but she didn’t want to dwell too hard on the thoughts, trying to just live in the moment, the way he did it so effortlessly, baffling her. 

Eden felt his fingers under her chin as he tilted her head up, their eyes meeting before lips found each other and she melted into him, into his kiss and she never wanted to leave this moment. He nipped her bottom lip gently before he rested his chin on her head, Eden snuggling into his chest and breathing in the scent of his cologne as they stared into the darkness, watching the lights dance beneath them.


	10. If It's Not Drugs, It's Drinks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are all such lovely human beans and I wanna thank you for taking this journey with me! And to those of you who jumped from AO3 to my Wattpad, I appreciate you for following me! Last chapter was super fluffy, this one we're back to our regularly scheduled smut so read at your own risk! ;)

Summer 2019

It hadn’t taken long for the gossip sites and the fans to pick up on the official status Eden and Colson now sported, but they were both used to the attention and surprisingly other than a few paparazzi run-ins while they were out and about, people didn’t seem to give them much notice. After spending as much time around the guys as she had been, she was thankful that the fans seemed to be mostly okay with her. She’d gotten the lowdown on just how intense the EST family could be and she wasn’t too eager to push her luck knowing how attached some of Colson’s female fans were. 

As it were, Eden had found herself wanting to immerse herself more into the world her boyfriend was part of and she’d spent the better part of an afternoon listening as the guys played pool and told her stories from over the years and the more she heard, the more intrigued she got. She’d started to think there wasn’t anything that could give her pause in her feelings, but she’d be lying to herself if she had started to wonder about Colson’s drug use outside of the weed they both shared. 

It wasn’t her place to mention anything and she was probably just overreacting. It wasn’t like she’d never been around the harder drugs and there had even been a once or twice experience with cocaine that she was in no hurry to ever repeat. She’d spent two days dealing with the side effects the second time and it had effectively turned her off of the substance so many of her friends seemed to enjoy. 

She had zero qualms however about drinking or getting high which she knew was vaguely hypocritical of her, but she currently didn’t care and it was because of that that Eden was currently half a bottle of Jack Daniels deep as she and Colson danced in the VIP lounge of whatever club he’d brought her to. Needing a break, she laced her fingers through his and pulled him back to the booth, pushing him down with her hand splayed across his chest so she could crawl into his lap with a grin. 

Colson snorted, holding his own liquor far better than that of his girlfriend, but he knew if they kept drinking, he was going to tip over the edge. Instead he wrapped one hand around her waist, his long fingers toying with the hem of her rather short dress that clung to all her curves in a way that had him wanting to take her to the bathroom and show her just how much he enjoyed looking at her. He couldn’t help but groan as Eden shifted her hips, grinding herself into his erection. In response, he buried his head against her neck, sucking enough on the pulse point that he knew it would leave a mark. 

Eden let out a soft whimper at the feeling of his lips on her neck and she gripped his thigh with her free hand, wondering if she could get him to take a trip to the bathroom with her to scratch the itch she knew without a doubt he could get for her. Unfortunately for the both of them, that wasn’t in the cards at the moment when they were approached by a tall leggy redhead followed by an annoyed looking security guard. The redhead opened her mouth to speak, eyes focused on Colson, barely registering that Eden was there. “My friends and I were wondering if you’d like to join us for a drink?” She waved vaguely towards a group of women that were eying Colson with anything but a friendly glance and Eden could feel her chest tighten as her eyes narrowed. 

The look of surprise on Colson’s face would have been comical if Eden were sober, but she was far too annoyed at the situation to find the humor and she could feel the beginnings of a pout which she put off by taking a swig of the bottle that was clutched in her fist. “Yeah, I’m good here. Got a drink and my girl so tell your friends they’ll have to find someone else to try and take home.” The woman’s mouth opened in surprise and she huffed, “If you’re sure. The offer still stands if you change your mind.” Before Colson could stop her, not that he would have tried very hard anyway, Eden was up and off his lap, Jack Daniels bottle abandoned on the table. 

She found herself in the redhead’s space, only inches separating them as she spoke, her voice dangerously low but loud enough her words weren’t lost in the noise of the club despite having to look up slightly at the taller woman. “First of all, you come over here when you’ve clearing been trying to eye fuck my boyfriend for the majority of the night which means you’re aware that he’s been occupied. Second, have some dignity to not try and take another girl’s man, there are plenty of attractive men in this club so you and your _friends_ ,” the word rolled off her tongue like it was the most disgusting thing she’d ever tasted, “can kindly fuck right off. Third, if you don’t walk your ass back out of this area, I will personally introduce your smug looking face to my fist.” 

Eden wasn’t normally one to resort to violence, but she’d never felt so disrespected by another person, which was saying something given all the gossip she’d read about herself over the years, but the alcohol had given her an edge and she wanted nothing more than to knock the woman on her ass. Her chest rose and fell as she tried to calm down and mercifully the redhead stared at her only a moment longer before she turned on her heels, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she marched back out into the club proper. Eden spun around and glared at nothing in particular, eyebrows furrowed as she felt a hand pull her back to the booth. Situating herself so her legs were on either sides of Colson’s thighs, her feet resting against the edge of the booth seat, she sighed. 

“That might be the hottest thing I’ve ever seen and I’m sorry it came down to that, but the look on that woman’s face was fucking priceless. I don’t think she knew whether to be terrified or offended.” Colson played with the ends of her hair as Eden let her hands snake up to cup the sides of his face, thumbs resting against his cheeks. The pout she’d tried to hide earlier found its way to her lips and she tried not to crack a smile when he closed the space between them, lips grazing hers before he dipped further, kissing the tops of her breasts where her dress did little to cover her cleavage. 

She arched her back, head tilted as she could feel just how much he’d enjoyed her display of possessiveness, heat pooling in her underwear as he kissed up and down her neck. A thought popped into her head and she knew it was probably the alcohol talking but she couldn’t stop herself as she placed a hand against his chest, his blue eyes dark with need as he looked at her. “Wait, as much as I like where this is going, I have an idea and I want to do it now.” 

His eyebrows knitted together in confusion, but she couldn’t help but appreciate the underlying intrigue that danced in his eyes. “Alright Little Lady, what idea do you have that could possibly upstage me pocketing your panties before I fuck you senseless?” 

She shivered at his words and pressed on before she lost her resolve, tilting his head slightly as she ran a hand across the double x tattoo just behind his ear, leaning forward slightly to press a kiss to it. “I want in. I want a double x tattoo.” If the eyebrow quirk were any indication, that was not what Colson was expecting but she let out a soft sigh as he captured her lips with his more gentle than he’d been before. 

“I think that’s a great fucking idea. You wanna go now? I know a shop that stays open late and the guy is chill. Or we can get someone to come to the house, I’ve got people.” Colson took a swig of the bottle she’d set down on the table with a grin. 

“I don’t want to wait. Take me to whatever shop you want.” She nipped at his bottom lip, the lingering taste of whiskey ghosting across her own lips. 

And that was how Eden found herself in a tattoo shop, her dress hiked up around her hips and her underwear pulled down to show off the unmarked skin of her right hip on display for Colson and that tattoo artist. When asked, she’d settled on her hip knowing it would be the easiest spot to keep hidden whenever she was on set, thankful this film didn’t require nudity and therefore left her without having to worry about production saying anything. 

She hissed slightly as the gun started on her hip and she squeezed Colson’s hand as he grinned from the chair beside her. “I’m honored you chose something of mine to be your first tattoo.” He leaned down so he could whisper in her ear, quiet enough to not be heard over the steady buzzing, “Plus, every time we fuck, I’ll know exactly’s who’s girl you are.” He nipped her earlobe and chuckled as she squeezed his hand. Whether from his words or the needles in his skin, he wasn’t sure, but either way he was pleased. 

Thankfully the tattoo was on the smaller side which meant it only took about thirty minutes from start to finish, surprisingly it hadn’t hurt as bad as she’d anticipated, but some of the shading had been an absolute bitch which Colson had gotten a laugh over when she’d squeeze his hand too hard. She’d looked at the end result in the mirror before the artist covered it, telling her to leave the bandage on for at least an hour and from the way Colson reacted to seeing it finished, she’d chosen the perfect spot to place it, remembering to test her theory later. 

Both a little more sober than they had been when they’d left the club, they waited for their uber outside of the tattoo shop and Eden couldn’t help but be happy she’d made the decision. Sure they’d only been together a little over a month, but regardless of what happened between the two of them, she wanted to remember how she felt in the moment and it just felt… right. She’d done her best to keep her hands to herself in the Uber, making small talk with the driver, but unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how she looked at it, Colson didn’t have the same thought process and his hand traveled up her dress, his fingers stroking the damp patch of her underwear as she paused only for a second to keep her breathing even. 

_Fuck, fuck, fuck_. Colson made sure the driver couldn’t see what he was doing and it took only a second for her to realize exactly what he was going for as he moved her underwear to the side and plunged two fingers into her, Eden biting her lip to keep any sounds escaping. Blissfully the driver wasn’t aware of what was happening in his back seat as she squirmed slightly, Colson, burying his head in neck to hide his laugh as his fingers pumped in and out of her. The driver also had no idea who either of them were and as he talked about his son going off to college in the fall, Eden tried to nod when appropriate, thankful the man was leading the conversation now without much input from her. 

She could feel herself starting to clench around his fingers and just as she was about to let go, she felt an emptiness as he pulled his fingers from her, bringing them to his lips before tasting her on his fingertips. She bit back the whine that threatened to escape at the loss of fullness, Colson kissing her deeply, the taste of her on his lips before he pulled back and whispered in her ear. “I’d hate for him to realize what we’ve been doing, but also, the thought of keeping you from coming makes me even harder. And when I do fuck you later, I want to make sure you see stars. 

She clenched her thighs together and considered trying to do the same to him, but before she could make a decision, the car pulled to a stop in front of Colson’s house. She thanked the driver before pulling Colson from the car, fingers interlaced with his as they made their way into the house. Thankfully none of the guys were in the living room as she pulled him up the stairs, letting his hand go as the door shut behind them. Colson had her up against the wall before she could even speak, his mouth on hers in a bruising kiss as she fumbled with the button on his jeans. Her leg hitched up around his hip and his hands cupped her ribs as he lifted her, letting her fully wrap herself around his legs as he used the wall for leverage. 

His lips trailed kisses down to her collarbone, his dick twitching at the moans that escaped her as he used one hand to finish undoing his pants shoving them and his underwear down enough to free himself before pushing the hem of Eden’s dress up around her hips once more, placing himself at her entrance before burying himself in her. She let out a gasp as he bottomed out in her, her fingers lacing through his hair and tugging as he rocked in and out of her, slamming his hips into hers as his lips covered hers, swallowing her gasps as they came. He swiped his tongue across her lips, his pace increasing as she touched her tongue to his. He knew she wouldn’t be much longer after his ministrations in the car so he reached down between them and tweaked her clit, chest rumbling at the sound of her mewling. 

As he felt her walls tighten around him, he knew he wouldn’t be far behind her. “Come with me. Let me hear you scream.” His words sent her over the edge and her orgasm washed over her, her toes curling and body riding out the wave as she felt Colson tighten before emptying himself into her. As their breathing slowed down, she leaned her forehead against his, the slight sheen of sweat that coated them both causing her to giggle, hissing slightly as he slid out of her. She unwrapped her legs from his waist and let them fall to the ground, thankful he was still holding her up because she didn’t trust her legs. 

“If that’s the outcome, I guess I should try and fight girls who hit on you more often.” She rolled her eyes and ran her hand under his shirt, fingers tracing circles into his chest. 

“My girl’s a badass, can’t nobody deny that.” He bent down, reached for the hem of her dress, tugging it up and over her body before discarding it on the floor. He peeled his shirt off and kicked his jeans and boxers off the rest of the way before kneeling in front of her, hooking his fingers into the black lace of her panties before dragging them down her legs, letting her step out of them before he tossed them onto her dress making a mental note to actually pocket them before she had a chance to take them back. 

Glancing up at her, he gestured toward the bandage on her hip and she nodded, wincing only slightly as the tape was peeled away. At the sight of the tattoo, Colson pressed a feather light kiss to it before kissing along her hip bone and down toward the apex of her thighs, chuckling as she gasped at the feeling of his breath as it ghosted across her clit. Instead of touching her there, he kissed a trail back up her body, before taking one of her nipples in his mouth, rolling his tongue over the stiff peak, causing Eden to grab his hip for leverage. He moved to the other nipple tracing his tongue over it as he continued his trail of kisses up her chest and collar before pausing to let his hand come to rest on her breast, fingers tweaking the nipple and eliciting a delicious whimper from her. 

He kissed his way up her neck, letting his tongue trail over the mark he’d left in the club before capturing her lips, knowing neither of them were leaving this room for the rest of the night. 

\-----

Colson was playing a show tonight as part of some benefit concert and Eden had already been gifted her own backstage pass as she sat in his dressing room while he was getting ready. She’d been to shows here and there, normally as a guest of someone else so she’d had some sort of idea of how things would go before his show started. There was however a distinct difference between how Colson’s backstage area was run compared to the last one she’d been in when Larissa had been dating Harry Styles. 

The alcohol was free flowing and she’d looked the other way when someone had brought out a small bag of white powder, occupying herself as she scrolled through Instagram and tried to tune out the sounds behind her. It wasn’t long before she felt arms wrap around her waist and she stared into ocean blue eyes, noticing how dilated his pupils were. She bit back her words and instead let her hand rest on top of where his were clasped together against her stomach leaning back into his chest. Eden only had a moment to herself with him before Rook dangled a bottle of whiskey in front of her face, laughing at her eye roll, knowing she was going to take the bottle from him regardless. Taking a swig, she relished in the feel of the whiskey as it burned her throat, the warmth in her belly letting her push the thoughts of white powder from her mind as she shifted so she was facing Colson, placing a deep kiss against his lips. His hands ran along her back before coming to rest just below her breasts and she leaned into him, ignoring the sounds of the guys behind them wolf whistling. 

After Slim had walked in on them one day, any awkwardness she’d felt was gone when they all started telling stories of sharing a tour bus with a bunch of dudes and no shortage of ladies. Some things she probably could have gone without hearing, but it had still made her feel a little less uncomfortable. She pushed Colson away and gestured to his friends, knowing they had their own rituals before a show and not wanting to interrupt. She was content to interject her thoughts here and there while taking swigs from the bottle that was being passed around. She’d just taken a hit off a joint when the dressing room door opened and a girl with a bright pink head of hair made her way in, Eden vaguely recognizing her. 

“Ashley!” Colson stood and crossed the floor, wrapping the shorter girl in a hug before angling her shoulders to face Eden. “Eden, this is Ashley, commonly known as Halsey. I think you two will fall in love. Which would suck for me, but if I lose you to someone, I’ll be okay with it being Ash.” 

Eden rolled her eyes and took another hit off the joint before passing it off to Rook who was in the middle of a passionate drum solo to the song playing through the bluetooth speaker. As Ashley let herself drop onto the couch next to Eden, both girls smiled, and Eden shifted so she could speak more directly. “Nice to meet you. Don’t tell Col I said this, but I’ve listened to more of your stuff than I have his. Don’t want to hurt his ego.” 

Ash let out a snort and nodded her head, showing understanding. “It’ll be our little secret. He puts up with me now, but listen, it was touch and go there for a while.” Eden couldn’t help the eyebrow raise, curious to know what could have happened between the two, especially after that introduction. 

Before she could question it, she was being tugged upright, Colson dragging her towards the door. “Soundcheck starts in a few minutes and I need your help with something before I go out there.” Eden’s lips pursed together, having a pretty good idea of just what he needed help with. Whenever a bump of coke was involved, he always wanted to have sex and she wasn’t surprised tonight wasn’t any different. The sex definitely wasn’t the problem for her, she’d have sex with him any time, but she knew at some point she was going to have to deal with how everything else made her feel. 

Now wasn’t the time though as he found a dark corner, thankful she had worn a cropped tee and loose skirt tonight because in the span of about ten seconds he had her bent over a box that she assumed had at one point held a bunch of cables, her skirt bunched up around her hips and her underwear pushed to the side as she felt him position himself at her entrance, wincing as she adjusted around him as he pushed himself in. She bit her lip to keep from making noises as he fucked her hard, knowing she really didn’t want someone to catch them but half not caring if they did. His pace was enough to get her going and the delicious ache between her thighs had that familiar sensation building, the dirty talk he was whispering in her ear causing her to clench around him, his hand clapped over her mouth as a loud moan passed her lips. 

He stole three more pumps before he was spilling himself into her, both of them collapsing against the rolling cart. As he pulled out, he adjusted himself back into his pants and Eden straightened out her skirt and underwear, knowing she probably looked like she’d just had a quickie. “God damn, you’re sexy. I’m half tempted to skip soundcheck so we can do round two.” He caught her lips with his own, a searing kiss she felt in her toes before he nipped her bottom lip and stepped away, wrapping his hand around hers. She knew he was half joking about round two, at least at the moment because he took performing seriously, but damn if she didn’t wish he was actually serious. 

They made their way back into the room and Colson paused, keeping her still while he ran his thumb across the corner of her lips, fixing her smudged lipstick. She rolled her eyes at the smug look in his eyes and flopped in the still empty space next to Ashley who looked at her with a knowing grin, causing Eden to hide her own smile behind her wrist. 

As the guys made their way to the stage for soundcheck, Ash slid her arm through Eden’s and they stood on the side stage watching them get set up and start running through their set list. Eden turned to the other woman, her eyebrow quirked. “So you mentioned it was touch and go between you two for awhile, can I ask why?” Ashley chuckled and watched Colson as he stopped the song so they could fix something. 

“Colson and I have known each other for a few years, I did a guest spot on a show he was on and we hit it off. We dated for a bit, but neither of us were in a really good place and things got… messy. He wrote a mean song, I said some not nice things, but after I dated Gerald and things went bad with him for reasons we don’t need to get into now, Colson and I reconnected. He’s honestly just a friend now, but we understand the shit the other has gone through. I’ve been seeing a friend of his for a little while now, his name is Dominic. We broke up for a bit, but we’re unofficially back together.” 

Eden chewed on the inside of her lip, as she took in the shorter girl’s words, happy she was so open about their history. “That’s… a lot to go through. Well, I’m glad you guys worked it out. I feel like it’s good he’s got people that understand each other.” 

“For sure. And I don’t know how much he’s said to you, but he’s crazy about you, so you have nothing to worry about.” She squeezed Eden’s arm lightly and the two girls continued to chat until they stepped off stage to grab something to drink and wait until it was time to start the show. 

Colson wrapped his arm around Eden’s shoulder, planting a sweaty kiss against her forehead as Ashley chuckled, her hand wrapped around a water bottle. “You talk shit about me?” 

Ashley snorted and saluted him with her water bottle, “Always. Had to make sure Eden knew what she was getting into.” She winked as Eden slipped her arm around Colson’s waist laughing loudly as Eden grimaced. “You’re so sweaty.” 

“You think I’m sweaty now, just wait until after the performance.” Squeezing her shoulder as he used his free hand to tilt her chin up, he kissed her before heading to the elevator that would take him below the stage for his dramatic entrance. 

“Musicians. Can’t take us anywhere.” Ash joked as she joined Eden next to the sound booth. For the next hour and a half, the two girls jumped and sang, Eden blowing kisses to Colson a few times whenever he’d look over. 

She had to say, as much as she’d loved seeing Harry perform, there was nothing like watching Colson perform and she was nowhere close to admitting it to anyone, but she knew in that moment just how much she loved him.


End file.
